Peugeot and the PSA Group is on a roll at the moment as it delivers the right cars at the right time to the market. The multi-fuel 2008 crossover is a case in point. The world has gone nuts for SUVs and the 208-based compact crossover follows its sibling with the arrival of an excellent electric only powered version – the e-2008, and we’re testing it this week.
We first reviewed the new 2008 at the end of 2019 http://motorhub.ie/peugeot-2008-review/ if you haven’t read it please do – its a good read, promise! We’ll skip to what makes the e-2008 a particularly interesting car. Under the skin the e-2008 is identical to the e-208 EV so it is front wheel drive and has the same 50kWh (net) battery pack and electric motor but this time it is wrapped up in fashionable SUV/crossover clothes.
The 2008 range starts from €23,700 (1.2L Active) and its no surprise that the electric 2008 costs a heap more. Both offer Active, Allure, GT Line and GT models. Even with €10,000 knocked off its price thanks to a VRT rebate and SEAI grant the e-2008 starts from €31,325 (Active). In comparison a e-208 costs from €26,809 (Active). After the sharp intake of breath we must remember that when running costs are factored in and the buyer does a reasonably high amount of mileage the electric versions make economic sense and to use an old phrase ‘wash their faces’. The environmental argument for the e-2008 stands up no one can argue with zero tailpipe emissions – sure it doesn’t even have a tailpipe! The other argument of where the power comes from and emissions from manufacture – well that’s another story for angry people.
The e-2008 looks sharp and is identifiable from other 2008s by its grille. The platform the EV version is on is one and the same as the 2008s. It and the 208 were designed from conception to accommodate multi fuel power trains so the EV has no impact on cabin space and the car’s exterior design. My only niggle with 2008 in general is the awkwardness of getting in to the driver’s seat. The 2008 has a particularly high sill you must negotiate. Once in situ it is a pleasure to drive, ridiculously quiet and utterly effortless to use.
The only caveat is when interacting with the slightly odd electronic interface and profile side of things. Sometimes the system can forget saved profiles and I did have to search for the handbook a couple of times. The electric motor produces 136hp and 300nm of torque that is available instantly. The e-2008 delivers lively performance and the range and electrical consumption are impressive too. There are three selectable driving modes available with e-2008; Eco, Normal and Sport that use and deliver power as stated. A ‘B’ brake mode is selectable and standard on e-2008. This delivers stronger lift-off energy regeneration, its also great when going down long descents and also save on brake wear too.
So the all important maximum range, it is quoted at 310km (WLTP) so allowing for winter performance there is still plenty of range for most daily uses and this means the air conditioning can be on and even the heated seats! This statement is far more significant for existing EV drivers than most mere internal combustion engined motorists. A CCS combo plug is standard but our test car and the e-2008 will draw up to 100kWh of power at a fast/rapid charger. 30 minutes at a 100kWh charger with get the car from flat to 80% in just 30 minutes. Our car didn’t have a type 2 cable in it (just a Granny three pin plug) so we could connect to our wall-box at Motorhub Towers or any of the 22kWh public chargers. An overnight charge at a EV wall box would fully charge the car. That left us seeking out the more sparsely available fast chargers with their own cables. Our test was during a warm and dry period. A MyPeugeot App offers a host of interactions with the e-2008 like checking range, charge status and energy consumption etc. The e-2008’s 5okWh battery comes with the usual 8 year/160,000km warranty (to have at least 70% capacity when fully charged) as with most EVs.
