Peugeot e-208 is a game-changer

Declan Colley says the e-208 is a game-changer in the move to electric motoring; mirroring the abilities of the conventional engined cars they aim to replace

Peugeot e-208 is powered by a 100-kW electric motor which outputs the equivalent of 135 bhp which sees it reach 100kmph in 8.1 seconds with a top speed of 150kmph.

Peugeot e-208
Rating	★★★★☆
Price	€27,334 - €32,890 as tested
Engine	there isn’t one, but great electric
The Spec	in GT spec, there is little absent
Verdict	Finally, a great electric.

I know we are in a pretty revolutionary time in the automotive sphere right now — although purists would argue that the industry has always been at least evolutionary if not revolutionary — but at present the industrial and production elements of the business are pushing boundaries more than at any time in the past.

Like many things in life, this season of change has been enforced on car makers largely against their will and principally because the collective industry was wilfully ignorant — sometimes illegally so — of its’ impact on our small blue planet.

The current era will undoubtedly become known as the ‘electric age’ of the car manufacturing sphere because all the major conglomerates involved were dragged, sometimes kicking and screaming, into making clean electric vehicles for mass consumption.

Of course the merits of using electricity — which more often than not in our world, is made by burning carbon of one sort or another — is open to debate and only history will tell us if the seismic shift away from making internal combustion engines (ICE) was the correct one. We shall see.

That being said, the rush to electric cars has been unprecedented and historic in industry terms and, as with anything new, there have been missteps and hiccups along the road of this journey. 

But, human endeavour being what it is, vast progress has been made in a very short period of time and in just one short decade electric cars have gone from being a humorous diversion to mainstream.

Truth is that most of the products we’ve seen thus far have been awful: Awful to drive, terrible for getting you any reasonable distance and generally unfit for purpose by comparison with the ICE products they aim to conquer. That’s changing fast and this week’s tester is proof of the pudding. We know, because we’ve eaten it.

Thus far in the automotive electrification process the only cars worth anything in terms of being able to go anywhere in the same way you do with ICE-powered cars have been hugely expensive and elitist. Not exactly a panacea for the masses, then.

But now we are getting closer to the nub of things — that point where mass-made and marketed electric cars are coming on stream that will mirror the abilities of the ICE cars they aim to replace. This week’s tester, the Peugeot e-208, is by far the most convincing we have seen so far in that regard.

The 208 is actually something of an anomaly because the range comprises of petrol, diesel and electric models and the ‘e’ version is not actually a bespoke variant in that it shares pretty much everything other than an engine with its siblings.

It is unusual for a car its size to have an interior design which has a serious ‘wow’ factor, but the Peugeot e-208 does.

As the reigning European Car of the Year, the 208 range actually wields a lot of potential sales muscle, covering as it does pretty much all the bases. And, being one of the best electric superminis we’ve seen thus far it has the capacity to corner a big chunk of a hugely growing market.

The e-208 is underpinned by Peugeot’s e-CMP platform, which means that it shares its running gear with Opel’s e-Corsa, which is now part of the French giant’s portfolio and which we will test shortly. There is only one power source on offer for the moment and that consists of a 100-kW electric motor which outputs the equivalent of 135 bhp.

It also boasts a 7.4 kW on-board charger and a 50 kWh battery pack and that in turn provides a claimed range of 340 km, will take seven-and-a-half hours to charge from a domestic wallbox, but if you can find a 100 kW DC fast charger you’ll get 80% capacity in just 30 minutes.

In terms of performance the e-208 will accelerate to 100 kph in a fleet 8.1 seconds (which is as quick as the 208 GTi of fond memory) and top speed is 150 kph.

It is worth noting too that there is no brake regeneration system, but that makes the car quite unlike anything we have encountered in the genre thus far.

In a majority of electrics, when you take your foot off the accelerator it can be akin to hitting a brick wall because of the light-switch nature of the accelerator function. This means that when you’re on the power, you are on it; and when you’re not, you are decidedly not.

With the e-208, when you take your foot off the loud pedal, you get the same reaction you would from a conventional car — ie, you slow down and don’t stop dead. This makes for a much more natural feel from the car and doesn’t involve a period of adjustment time.

We have also found that with many electrics, the suspension set-up is often rather firm, making the ride rather skittish, especially on B-roads. Not so here, as the e-208 is sure-footed and able to absorb the worst on offer without losing any handing nous. 

Given that — by comparison with the diesel and petrol models — you’re packing a good deal of extra weight, this makes the ride and handling package appealing.

It is unusual for a car its size to have an interior design which has a serious ‘wow’ factor, but this one does. The mixture of faux carbon and the union of surfaces and shapes, along with the seeming 3-D instrumentation binnacle makes for something which might not appeal to conservative tastes, but this car will probably not appeal to that constituency anyway.

The graphics from the instrumentation are fantastic, while the seven-inch touchscreen controls all the connectivity, entertainment and climate functions. Throw in Peugeot’s signature ‘piano key’ switchgear and you’ve got something that is terribly modern without being functionally useless, as can so often be the case.

Interior space is also excellent as the e-208 is more than four metres from stem to stern, making for decent rear legroom and providing very useable boot space.

Interior space is also excellent as the e-208 is more than four metres from stem to stern, making for decent rear legroom and providing very useable boot space. Also worth noting — although another Peugeot signature, really — is the comfort of the seating, something for which superminis are not always noted.

The single most important thing here, however, is the peace of mind afforded by the range. As we know, all too many electrics boast a certain range, but unless you drive it very gently, you will never see that delivered.

This car, on the other hand, while not quite offering the claimed 340 km, it will go a long way towards it. In my experience, you will get a realistic 270-290 km of motoring, even with a mix of motorway and cross-country driving.

And, you don’t have to worry about faffing around with freewheeling or any of that crack. This thing just gets the job done and will safely — and without stressing you out — undertake pretty much any journey you want.

Finally then we are getting to the point where the electric revolution has provided us with cars which can do something other than solely urban driving and with the e-208 we have one of the leading pioneers.