Peugeot’s first fully electric SUV is a car I’ve been looking forward to driving for some time now.
My week with the e-2008 overlapped with Dundee being blanketed in its deepest snowfall for years.
While the car doesn’t have four-wheel drive its additional ground clearance compared to a hatchback prevented it from bogging down in the snow. A visit to Backmuir Woods showed an electric motor is every bit as capable of handling a dump of snow as a petrol or diesel engine.
Another bonus is not having to wait for the engine to warm up before the heater starts working – warm air flows from the vents as soon as you get in, and sooner if you’ve used the app to pre-heat the vehicle.
The e-2008 costs just under £33,000 once the government’s £3,000 electric car grant has been taken off, which makes it one of the most reasonably priced EVs currently on the market.
It is also one of the few affordible electric SUVs. The majority of EVs with reasonable price tags are hatchbacks, like the Nissan Leaf. Mazda’s new MX-30 is one of the only direct rivals to the e-2008 at the moment.
The Peugeot packs a 50kWh battery. Officially that’s enough for a range of between 191 and 206 miles.
In a snowy Scottish winter I found that very much wasn’t the case. When the e-2008 arrived with a full battery the range readout sat at 118 miles.
After a 40 mile round trip to Auchmithie it read 60 miles. If it’s cold outside budget on a 100 mile range and you won’t be far wrong.
That’s enough for the vast majority of journeys but it does mean if you’re driving down to England (if Covid-19 ever allows us to do that) you’re going to need to stop every 90 minutes or so.
That won’t be too much of an inconvenience if you can find a 100kW charger, which will take it up to 80% battery in just 15 minutes.
The Peugeot is a delight to drive. The electric engine is smooth, fast – 0-62mph takes 8.5 seconds – and responsive. It’s extremely quiet and handles well, thanks to its low centre of gravity. There’s a smart cabin with a large, clear touchscreen, plenty of room front and back and a good sized boot.
Well priced, good looking and great to drive, it ticks all the boxes – if it had a little more range it would be nigh-on perfect.
