The pure electric Peugeot e-208 has been updated for 2023 with a high-spec, higher-power, higher-efficiency drivetrain donated by the recently-launched all-new Peugeot e-308.
Expected to cost from around £30,000, the updated Peugeot e-208 small electric car will likely open for ordering later in 2022, with the first customers eager to buy or lease the new improved EV set to take delivery of their cars from early 2023. The longer-range new 2023 Peugeot e-208 is visually identical to today’s electric e-208 range. The car has a chequer-style body-colour front grille, distinctive ‘claw-style’ LED daytime running lights, and blue ‘e’ logos on the rear C-pillars and tailgate. Peugeot intentionally keeps the e-208 visually almost identical to the petrol-powered 208. Aside from the logos, the key difference is the more aerodynamically-efficient 16-inch alloy wheels, which run on low rolling resistance ‘A+’ tyres. The Peugeot e-208’s familiar i-Cockpit interior design remains a distinctive feature. The steering wheel is super-small, with the widescreen digital driver’s display located above it, head-up-style. You can even get a 3D layout as an option, which is an eye-catching piece of tech. A crisp colour touchscreen is mounted high up on the centre of the dashboard; the 2023 Peugeot e-208 comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. It has piano key-style ‘shortcut’ buttons for major controls, and there’s a dedicated smartphone holder located below. The new Peugeot e-208 uses the more powerful electric motor from the recently-launched Peugeot e-308. This takes power up 15% from an already-decent 136PS to a very healthy 156PS. We expect the 0-62mph acceleration time to dip below the current car’s 8.1 seconds, meaning performance is likely to impress. A two-pedal automatic gearbox is standard, mastered by a toggle in the centre console – and there’s a three-mode drive profile switch too: choose from eco, normal or sport. As for the Peugeot e-208’s new battery, it is a more efficient design with a total capacity of 51kWh. Driving range is up more than 10%, to 248 miles – that’s 23 miles more per charge than the current Peugeot e-208. And improved efficiency means it can cover 62 miles for 12kWh of charge. The current Peugeot e-208 already benefitted from a series of efficiency improvements in early 2022: these cars can cover 225 miles on a full charge, up from the 211 miles of the first 2019-on e-208. Add in the latest improvements, and it means Peugeot has improved range by almost 18% since it first launched the e-208, and energy consumption is down 15%. The high-voltage 400V battery of the Peugeot e-208 comes with an optional 11kW fast charger. Using a 100kW public rapid charger, it can top up from 20% charge to 80% capacity in less than 25 minutes – and a clever MyPeugeot smartphone app allows you to monitor the state of charge remotely. You can even turn on the climate control from your living room, to warm it up or cool it down before you get in. Peugeot has sold more than 110,000 e-208 since it was launched in 2019. It’s the top-selling EV in France. The firm hopes to continue the success of its five-door, supermini-sized electric car with the latest round of improvements for 2023. If you want to buy or lease one of the first in the country, stay tuned for ordering opening before the end of the year, with prices starting from around £30,000.
