Motoring: Plenty to consider with Peugeot's e-2008
If electric will work for you, even as a second family car, then everything else about this French SUV is likely to bowl you over but for TONY CONLON the range issue leaves a driver with a lot to think about
There were a few reasons why I didn’t get to visit my in-laws’ graves over the Christmas period.
Firstly, the drive to the midlands would have meant that a visit to other living relations would be a non-runner because of Covid-19 restrictions. Secondly, I was driving an electric car in the form of the pretty Peugeot e-2008.
While I knew I could complete the 189km round trip on one charge, the reality that electric vehicles (EVs) are not the most productive while driving on motorways failed to give me much encouragement.
And if I wanted to top up the car’s charge en route, what was to say that I wouldn’t have to queue or that I might find a non-electric vehicle parked in the charge bay. It all seemed like too much of a risk to take, especially at holiday time.
Peugeot claims that under WLTP testing, the e-2008 showed it had a range of 310km from a full charge. While I am sure this is possible in perfect test conditions, my planning for the post-Christmas drive did not show this car in that light, despite me adopting a green mindset.
Motorway driving is not an ideal environment for electric vehicles because - unlike pottering about town or driving on country roads – you’re not braking as often and so the car is not regenerating energy back to the car’s battery, thus extending its range.
This was evident to me pre-Christmas where the Peugeot showed the range figures differ from one type of road to another. Select eco mode and use as much regeneration as possible, and this Peugeot will work. Over 250km is possible with a little bit of effort.
Selecting sport mode and flying down a motorway only insults this car’s capabilities and does not demonstrate what this car is really about.
Powered by a 50kWh battery and 136hp motor, the silent e-2008 has a claimed top speed of almost 150km/h and it can sprint from 0-100km/h in 9.0 seconds.
A fast charge will give 80% battery life in about 30 minutes, while a 7kWh wall-mounted home charger that’s easier on the battery takes about seven hours for a full charge. Most electric cars come with what’s known as a ‘granny charger’ - this has a three-pin plug and only gives about 8km per hour charge from a household socket; in other words, it’s effectively useless unless you’re charging the car over a long period of time.
If electric will work for you, even as a second family car, then everything else about this French SUV is likely to bowl you over. While it looks similar to other Peugeot 2008s, the e-2008 is identifiable by a few additional details.
It comes with a sparkling dichroic Peugeot Lion emblem, whose reflections alternate between green and blue depending on the angle of view. The car also has ‘e’ badges on the front wings and tailgate and a body-coloured grille.
It is an extremely good-looking SUV that sports excellent build quality and pretty design details. I loved the fang-style front daytime running lights and the lion’s claw taillights.
The test model I drove was painted an eye-catching Orange Fusion colour and sat on 17” alloy wheels. With its longitudinal roof bars, the car really stood out.
Offered in Active, Allure and GT trim levels, the list of standard equipment even on the base Active model is very generous.
The Allure version shows the level of equipment pushed out even more. The comfortable seating and the stitch detail, the 3D i-cockpit with the configurable 3D head-up instrument panel, the colour reversing camera, the unique small leather steering wheel, central armrest that provides storage and 5 USB sockets just shows the thought Peugeot put into designing the interior.
Some of the numerous safety features include extended traffic sign recognition, automatic emergency braking and active safety brake.
Although it is heavier than the petrol version by almost 300kg, handling and comfort levels proved positive except when crossing a sharp ramp at a pedestrian crossing. Even driving very gingerly over one of these, I found an annoying bounce effect.
It certainly wouldn’t turn me off a car that offers boot space from 434 litres to 1,467 litres.
If you’re thinking of going electric, then the Peugeot e-2008 should be on the shortlist.