Mind you, the e-208 does set the standard for rapid charging in the small-car class. London drivers would presently save on the congestion charge, parking charges in some areas and all electric cars are VED tax exempt. Comfy, cute, practical and affordable, it's everything it needs to be and nothing more. Jaguar MkVII at 70: the 100mph saloon that caused a genuine sensation in post-war Britain, How to save £3,000 on an electric car: the Government plug-in grant explained, Seat Leon FR review: a class act that's almost good enough to eclipse the similar VW Golf, Aston Martin DBS Volante on long-term test: the ultimate roadster for a well-heeled James Bond fan, Honda CR-V Hybrid on long-term test: a big, family-friendly SUV with diesel-rivalling fuel economy. Because when you strip away the excess, you’re left with cars like this Peugeot e-208. Gone are the days of French superminis trying to be ‘playful’; this feels and acts like a serious car. Hybrid cars explained – and should you be worried about a ban in 2035? The iOn felt as comfortable as a Smart on a dual carriageway but strong crosswinds gave some nervous moments. It feels more than potent enough, whether you’re launching away from the lights or making use of the mid-range gusto. You even get multiple USB charging sockets in the front and back, and in all but the cheapest model there’s wireless phone charging and a snazzy configurable driver’s readout with ‘3D’ graphics.
Overall, it’s the style, on-board technology and generally sophisticated feel of the e-208 that marks it out. The boot is adequate for shopping and short trips, but won't take lots of luggage. In Normal or Eco modes, the steering is light but precise and ideal for winding through town, and the light regenerative braking is subtle and doesn’t intrude on progress unless you snick the gearshifter into ‘B’ to increase the force. It can travel over 200 miles on a full ‘tank’, and can be refilled from empty to 80 percent in about half an hour at a rapid charger. That's because its 133 lbs/ft of torque arrives instantly. All iOns have five doors and come with privacy glass. But once the virus has been thwarted, I at least hope we can approach car buying with the same honesty that we’re now taking to the supermarket, and perhaps reconsider some of our assumptions. You can put it into ‘sport’ mode if you want to lie to yourself for a few minutes. Under the stubby bonnet is a 134bhp electric motor that powers the front wheels, fed by a 50kWh lithium-ion battery pack.
A recent report suggested electric cars create about 70g/km of CO2 because of the energy used by power stations to generate the electricity. A 150-mile journey on fast-flowing motorways and crowded pre-lockdown streets left me with around 25% battery. Here are our pics for 2020, All-new electric version of the iconic 'Humvee' promises around 1,000bhp, a three-second 0-60mph time and formidable off-road capability, Pininfarina Battista electric hypercar will make 1,873bhp and cost around £2million, New Toyota-based family SUV with plug-in hybrid power will cost from £45,599 in the UK, with sales starting in November, All-new Skoda Enyaq iV SUV goes on sale later in 2020, with prices starting at £33,450 before the government grant, We're here to help! Electric car ownership is terrific if you have your own driveway on which to charge up, and starts to unravel a bit if – like me – you are a flat-dweller reliant on public chargers to keep the batteries topped up. Of course, with company-car tax for the next three years being so low that these more affordable electric cars are virtually free to business users, the e-208 promises to be a hit in the business and fleet markets. This gives a theoretical range of about 90 miles in free flowing traffic but nearer 40 miles in traffic with the air-con operating.
The cabin feels upmarket and relatively grown-up. Even so, the Peugeot has a more youthful, exuberant feel and look than the woollier-handling ZOE, so if you’re looking for a small electric car right now, your options just got a whole lot better. And charging overnight using a 7.2kW wall box – the sort many electric car owners choose to have installed on their driveways – left me with a full battery with over 200 miles of range.
Buying a Peugeot 208 in 2020, you pick your colour and which of the four trim levels you’d like, then you pick your powertrain – petrol, diesel or electric. You need to be a subscriber to join the conversation. Peugeot estimates electric cars will take four per cent of the EU new car market by 2020 and hopes to be selling around 50,000 iOns by 2015, which seems over-optimistic to me. Clever cruise control, extremely good parking cameras, a cheerful little steering wheel and probably the coolest instruments in the business make the e-208’s interior one of the best – if not the best – I’ve encountered in recent years. Rest to 60mph takes a lengthy 16 seconds. The electric motor neatly replaces a compact petrol engine and transmission between the rear wheels in this Mitsubishi 'i' derived vehicle. Because this isn’t any Peugeot 208, it’s an electric Peugeot 208. Take only what you need. This doesn't look like a momentous car, but it is. So its 200-mile range is probably no good if you commute from London to Glasgow, just as its 311-litre boot isn’t much use if you own a St Bernard. Everything about it is just… enough.
Almost indistinguishable from its siblings – save a blue-green tinge to the lion badge and body-coloured highlights to the grille, it’s a smart-looking five-door hatchback that’s a rival to the Renault ZOE and Vauxhall Corsa-e (which shares the Peugeot’s platform and powertrain), and even to the bigger but similarly priced MG ZS EV, or the smaller and more basic Volkswagen e-up!. Send us your questions about hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric cars and we'll do our best to answer, Not familiar with the Source London charging network?
Driving Electric is a registered trade mark, New electric GMC Hummer EV off-roader revealed, Pininfarina Battista electric hypercar: price, specs and release date, New 2020 Suzuki Across hybrid: prices, specs and on-sale date, 2021 Skoda Enyaq iV electric SUV: prices, specification and on-sale date, Your electric-car questions answered: DrivingElectric reader queries, Complete guide to the Source London charging network. Get in, turn the key, select Drive, release the handbrake and you're off. It's more practical than a Smart ForTwo. All rights reserved. Space in the e-208 is exactly the same as in the ‘normal’ 208, so there’s plenty of room in the back for average-sized adults to get comfortable.
That’s been the main lesson of the coronavirus crisis so far. Engine / CO2: 66bhp electric motor / 0 gCO2/km When I later found a fast charger, though, I charged the tank from about 20% to over 80% in under half an hour.
A car that every household has heard of, and that rings with an aura of familiarity and dependability. It’ll reach 60mph in eight seconds, it’s easy to park, it’s pretty, and it doesn’t cost too much. I won’t spend too many words on the dynamics, because they aren’t relevant. Opportunities for me to run out would be rare indeed. With the iOn's main weight, its 88-cell 16 kWh lithium ion battery pack, slung low down under the floor it is pleasingly stable. Very low running costs are one of the main reasons to switch to an electric car. Peugeot say that a typical driver would save £1,500 a year in fuelling costs compared to a normal car. Even with diesel fume belching lorries and taxis there's no doubt city air would be cleaner if we all commuted in iOns and its stablemates with no tailpipe pollution.