Peugeot began its electrification journey like most conventional automakers, first providing delicate hybrid or plug-in hybrid variants for a number of of their present inside combustion engine (ICE) fashions. Subsequent, Peugeot created absolutely electrical variants of some fashions, and these are actually lastly making their manner into the Australian market after launching abroad a couple of years in the past.
The e-2008 is Peugeot’s first absolutely electrical passenger car to reach in Australia, following carefully behind the sunshine business e-Companion van which went on sale in July.
Each of those automobiles are conversions of present ICE fashions, and pricing for the e-2008 matches the e-Companion at $59,990 earlier than on-road prices. The Pushed was invited by Peugeot to check drive the e-2008 at a launch occasion in Sydney final week.
When Kate Gillis, Managing Director of Peugeot Australia was requested the place the e-2008 suits into the EV market, she described it as “giving clients one other new supply that could be a European small SUV. Nevertheless it additionally has obtained its buddy, ICE engine subsequent to it. So that you’ve obtained a way of alternative.”
With a $59,990 price ticket and simply 328 km in driving vary, the e-2008 may discover it laborious to compete in Australia’s rising EV market. Peugeot might tempt some consumers away from the ICE model of the 2008 although. For instance, the equally specced 2008 GT Sport is simply over $55k driveaway, so state based mostly EV rebates make the upfront prices comparable.
Peugeot is due to this fact positioning the e-2008 as a transition car and that is evident as quickly as you sit within the driver’s seat. After urgent the start-stop button, a gas gauge-like state of cost indicator seems on the left facet of the sprint subsequent to the remaining vary.
This expertise continues as you drive off within the e-2008. With 100 kW / 260 Nm in sport mode delivering a 0-100km/h time of 9 seconds, it feels sluggish off the road in comparison with most EVs. Nevertheless, acceleration is easy as you’d count on and the cabin is properly insulated from each site visitors and street noise when you get going.
Peugeot confirmed there aren’t any main variations to the suspension setup in comparison with the inner combustion engine (ICE) 2008 and no native suspension tuning program for the e-2008.
Regardless of this, journey and luxury was above common, solely feeling too agency over the sharpest bumps within the street. The e-2008 is actually not a sporty automobile, but it surely handles fairly properly for a small SUV.
In terms of slowing down, the e-2008 has two ranges of regenerative braking. The default ‘D’ mode coasts like an ICE automobile as you raise off the accelerator pedal. ‘B’ mode offers weak regenerative braking with no one pedal drive mode. The brake pedal additionally blends regenerative and friction braking but it surely feels spongy at instances and laborious to manage easily.
When you’re completed driving and have to recharge, the e-2008 is provided with a CCS2 combo cost port. Most DC charging pace is 100kW, which Peugeot claims is sufficient to cost 0-80% in half-hour. The 11kW on board AC charger will recharge from 0-100% in 5 hours by way of 11kW 3-phase or 7.5 hours by way of 7kW single part. A sort-2 to type-2 charging cable is included with the automobile.
The cost port is positioned on the rear passenger facet which is nice for kerbside charging stations and compatibility with extra Tesla Supercharger websites which just lately opened for different EVs. Apparently, there isn’t a approach to set a cost restrict on the e-2008, it all the time fees to 100%. Once more, that is in all probability intentional to ease the transition for EV newcomers.
When it comes to vary and effectivity, we began the check drive with a full cost and remaining vary near the marketed 328 km. After the ~80 km loop we’d used one quarter of the battery and consumption was 15.4 kWh/100km. The check drive was primarily on city roads with a most pace of 80km/h. This means you must get near the marketed 328 km vary round city, additional testing can be required to find out how a lot much less freeway vary is.
Selecting an e-2008 could be very easy as Peugeot is providing a single spec GT model, geared up with a 50 kWh battery and 328 km of WLTP driving vary for $59,990 plus on-road prices. The included color known as Orange Fusion, with 5 extra colors the one optionally available extras. Nera Black or Artense Gray metallic paint for $690, Vertigo Blue (pictured above), Elixir Purple or Pearl White premium paint for $1050.
From the skin, the e-2008 is minimally differentiated from ICE variations by blue ‘e’ badging and physique colored highlights on the entrance grille. Peugeot has stored all exterior and inside dimensions the identical because the ICE 2008 together with a good boot house of 434L. One notable omission for the e-2008 is towing, sadly you possibly can’t spoil your weekend with this EV.
Transferring onto the inside, the e-2008 is properly appointed and options Peugeot’s i-CockpitTM 10-inch digital instrument cluster with an 8-inch centre show. There’s wired Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, wi-fi telephone charging, sunroof as commonplace, heated entrance seats and therapeutic massage perform for the motive force. The entrance seats had loads of adjustment and have been comfy throughout the check drive.
Controls for air-con and the centre show are considerably complicated with a combination of bodily switches and a row of non-haptic buttons above. Contact inputs on the centre show have been laggy at instances as properly. These shortcomings might be much less of a problem in the event you’re utilizing Apple CarPlay or Android Auto for navigation and audio.
Rear headroom is sweet, though facilities are restricted to bottle holders within the doorways, two USB-A ports and again seat pockets. There aren’t any air vents for rear seat passengers and center seat legroom is compromised by a transmission tunnel hump.
Driver help and security options within the e-2008 are pretty complete with none apparent omissions for a automobile on this worth vary. They embody adaptive cruise management, lane-keeping help, computerized emergency braking, rear cross site visitors alert, blind spot detection, lane departure warning, Acoustic Car Alert System (AVAS), 180 diploma reversing digicam with high down view.
Peugeot offers the e-2008 with a 5 12 months / limitless km guarantee, plus 8 years or 160,000 km on the battery pack. Peugeot’s guarantee phrases and circumstances don’t specify precisely what the battery guarantee covers by way of battery well being although. Service intervals are each 12 months or 25,000km and Peugeot presents 3 or 5 12 months service plans for $600 or $1000 respectively. A tyre restore equipment can be tucked away properly below the boot ground.
Gillis was requested about Peugeot’s future electrification plans and confirmed two new absolutely electrical variants can be coming to Australia subsequent 12 months.
The e-208 hatchback and bigger mild business e-Professional van, though just like the e-2008 these are each conversions of present ICE fashions. (See our evaluation from a France street journey right here: Douce France in an electrical Peugeot: Simply don’t get a puncture)
Gillis additionally confirmed the facelifted e-2008 that was just lately revealed abroad ought to arrive regionally in 2024 as properly. The facelift contains tweaks to the outside styling and inside options, 15 kW extra energy and a barely bigger 54 kWh battery which improves driving vary to 406 km WLTP.
Peugeot might want to launch extra compelling EV solely fashions in the event that they need to stay aggressive sooner or later. However even when the e-2008 doesn’t fit your wants, it’s nice to see one other model providing absolutely electrical fashions and giving shoppers extra alternative within the Australian market. The e-2008 is accessible to pre-order now and buyer deliveries begin this week.
Key options and specs for the Peugeot e-2008 are under:
Value
$59,990 plus on-road prices
Optionally available extras
5 optionally available exterior paint colors:
Nera Black (metallic) – $690
Artense Gray (metallic) – $690
Vertigo Blue (premium) – $1050
Elixir Purple (premium) – $1050
Pearl White (premium) – $1050
Battery chemistry
Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC)
Battery dimension
50 kWh gross, 46.3 kWh usable
Vary
328 km WLTP
Pushed wheels
Entrance-wheel drive
Energy / Torque
Eco: 60 kW / 180 NmRegular: 80 kW / 220 NmSport: 100 kW / 260 Nm
Charging Velocity
100 kW DC, 11 kW AC
Charging Socket
CCS2 combo
Exterior Dimensions
Size: 4300mmWidth: 1987mm (incl. mirrors)Peak: 1550mmWheelbase: 2605mm
Storage Area
No frunkBoot, rear seats up: 434LBoot, rear seats folded: 1467L
Service Interval
12 months / 25,000 km
Tim has 20 years expertise within the IT business together with 14 years as a community engineer and website reliability engineer at Google Australia. He’s an EV and renewable vitality fanatic who’s most obsessed with serving to individuals perceive and undertake these applied sciences.