It’s that time of the year, Geneva Motor Show is approaching and a flurry of new cars begin to emerge, many of which are becoming electric! Peugeot have taken a step into the EV market with their new e208, an all electric hatchback with striking aesthetics with a modern twist. The new hatchback will be built on the same same production line as its petrol and diesel powered siblings, this is due to the new 208’s CMP platform dubbed “e-CMP”, allowing the swift little car to hit the streets this summer!
Atop of the chassis is a 50kWh battery which powers a 100 kWh electric motor, capable of a 211 mile range on a single charge. The car is front wheel drive and sports 260 Nm of instant torque and will display all of you drivetrain info live on a central screen display. Furthermore, the e208 boasts 3 driving modes, for when you’re being range conscious, or when you crave the need for speed! An “eco” mode promises to optimise the batteries and drivetrain for optimum range, a “normal” mode pushes the car to be as comfortable as possible, and the aptly named “sport” mode prioritises performance and sensations, pushing maximum power and torque to achieve a 0-60 mph in 8.1s. An 8.1 second 0-60 time won’t snap your neck, but when you compare this time to the likes of the Renault Zoe, it is fairly impressive!
The e208 promises to charge from a 7kW home charger in under 8 hours, and can grab an 80% recharge in 30 minutes using a roadside 100kW rapid charger. Regenerative braking is featured, as expected seeming as virtually every electric car comes with this feature as standard, however, it’s ultimately a good feature to have on a small city hatchback like the e208!
These stats combined make the Peugeot e208 an instant consideration for a viable city car, while being mega reliable, stylish and efficient, it also promises to be exciting and the complete opposite of “bleh”! To enable optimum battery efficiency in the colder months, the e208 has a battery heater to negate the loss of range due to low battery temperatures. In addition, the car can be specced out with heated seats and a preheated cabin, controlled via the touch screen or remotely by the MyPeugeot® smartphone application, this will help with them cold winter commutes when you can’t be bothered to sit and wait for the car to warm up.
All in all, the Peugeot e208 looks very promising! An electric car for the younger drivers chasing thrill? Maybe! An electric car for daily commuters looking to save money and travel in style? Most definitely! We are looking forward to hopefully getting our hands on one later in the year!
