Peugeot e-2008 is a smart electric crossover with 250-mile range

The Peugeot e-2008 is a fully electric version of the company’s popular crossover model.

Released five years ago, it was given a mid-life refresh last year. Styling tweaks included new LED headlights and a better touchscreen.

Meanwhile, the electric version got a slightly bigger battery and more power, with official range improving from 214 miles to 250 miles.

The e-2008 has a 154bhp electric motor that drives the front wheels.

Unlike many electric cars, which offer near-supercar levels of acceleration, the e-2008 has a more average turn of speed.

Jack and a front view of the Peugeot e-2008 — The Peugeot e-2008 is fully electric. Image: Mike McKeown.

Getting from a standstill to 62mph takes around nine seconds and top speed is 93mph.

That should be all the speed most users are likely to need out of a small family SUV though, and in practice I never found it lacking in power.

It whooshes off the line instantaneously when you mash the pedal and it’s very peppy when it comes to nipping out of junctions or entering roundabouts.

Only when overtaking at 60mph or above does it feel a little more sluggish.

Battery and range of Peugeot e-2008

Under the floor there’s a 54kWh battery which gives an official range of 250 miles. As with all electric cars, range depends a lot on conditions and how you drive.

My week with the e-2008 came during a time of cold and wet early spring weather. With lights, heating, and wipers in use most of the time the car was showing a range of 190 miles. In summer you can expect closer to the 250-mile mark.

The car can charge at up to 100kW at which rate it takes half an hour to go from 10-80%.

The Peugeot e-2008 is a small family crossover. Image: Jack McKeown.

Prices for the Peugeot e-2008 start at around the £35,000 mark for entry level Active models, which come with a 10in touchscreen, rear parking sensors, cruise control and smartphone mirroring.

Mid-spec Allure adds front parking sensors, an adjustable boot floor, privacy glass and an emergency braking system that recognises pedestrians.

I drove the top-spec GT version, which cost a little over £40,000. It came with all of the above kit, plus a digital dashboard, reversing camera, keyless start-up, adaptive LED headlights, and wireless phone charging.

Rivals for the Peugeot e-2008 include the Kia Soul EV, BYD Atto 2, Hyundai Kona Electric, and the cheaper MG ZS.

A rear view of the Peugeot, which our writer calls good looking and reasonably practical — It’s good looking and reasonably practical, says our motoring writer. Image: Jack McKeown.

One of the nice things about the e-2008 is that it doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel.

Some electric car manufacturers feel their vehicles need to look wildly different (check out the Hyundai Ioniq 6) or do crazy things like remove indicator stalks (the Tesla Model 3).

But the e-2008 is almost identical to the petrol-powered 2008 in everything apart from what makes the wheels go round.

Interior and practicality

It has a smart interior, which is well laid out and has materials that feel higher quality than many of its rivals.

There’s space in the back for average-sized adults, although anyone over six feet tall might start to feel a bit pinched for legroom.

The cabin has a smart, user-friendly layout. Image: Peugeot.

There's a 435 litre boot and some versions have extra storage under the floor. — There’s a 435 litre boot and some versions have extra storage under the floor. Image: Peugeot.

The boot offers 435 litres of volume and higher-spec models have an additional compartment underneath that can be used to store charging cables or to keep muddy boots away from the rest of your luggage.

Sadly, there’s no front boot – many EVs have a cubby under the bonnet that’s perfect for stashing the charge cables.

What’s it like to drive?

The Peugeot e-2008 is a good car to drive. The battery and electric motors add an extra 350kg compared to the petrol version but it doesn’t feel heavy or stodgy. In fact, at 1,600kg it’s light for a family EV.

The suspension soaks up the bumps nicely and while it’s not going to put the same sort of smile on your face as a Mazda MX-5 does, it handles safely and predictably.

The e-2008 does well around town and on open roads. Image: Peugeot.

I was up in Highland Perthshire for a work job and it cruised along the A9 at 60mph very quietly.

A 20-minute top up at the new chargers in Dunkeld gave me time to pick up a sausage roll and a coffee from the excellent Livvi’s takeaway before I motored back to Dundee.

You get a three-year unlimited mileage warranty and the battery is covered for eight years. That’s decent, but Peugeot is outdone by Kia and Hyundai, which offer seven-year, 100,000-mile and five-year, unlimited-mile warranties, respectively.