When car brands are falling over themselves to launch electric SUVs, Peugeot is adding afar more versatile electric vehicle in the form of the e-Traveller. It is essentially a passenger variant of its e-Expert van and will be available with seating for up to nine people. Three body lengths (Compact 4.60m, Standard 4.95m and Long 5.30m) will give buyers greater choice as will the specification grades.
At the upper end of the range a more luxurious model designed for those transporting VIPs and the like will offer a four individual seat setup int he rear with all seats facing each other and heavily tinted 90 per cent opacity glass and electrically operated sliding rear doors. A five-seat version will also be available.
A shuttle version will provide seating for between five and nine people according to setup and in the longer length body style still leave sufficient space for luggage. The Combispace version will be available in Active and Allure specifications and is aimed at family use, in particular for children. Built-in sun blinds and seat flexibility are listed as some of the practical features. Although the large tailgate will be restrictive in some parking situations it is possible to open only the glass element, making it handy for dropping in bags while shopping. The Peugeot e-Traveller's height is also limited to 1.90 metres which means that it should easily squeeze into most public car parks.
There will be a choice of two battery sizes
Peugeot will offer the e-Traveller with two battery options, starting with a 50kWh unit and a larger 75kWh version. The driving range will be up to 330 kilometres in WLTP certification conditions, although this figure will vary depending on scenarios like passenger and cargo load. In its nine-seat configuration the e-Traveller can carry 1,500 litres of cargo, which increases to 3,000 litres in five-seat mode. The ability to easily take out seats when not required can see the cargo volume rise to 4,900 litres.
The smaller 50kWh battery will be capable of a driving range up to 230 kilometres, pending certification, but you'll need to get the 75kWh battery to get to the 330-kilometre range. As standard there is a 7.4kW onboard charger with the option of upgrading to a three-phase 11kW charger. Like the smaller Peugeot e-208, the e-Traveller can rapid charger at up to 100kW, refilling the battery to 80 per cent charge in 30 minutes with the 50kWh battery and 45 minutes with the 75kWh battery. A full domestic charge using the 7.4kW charger takes around 7 hours 30 minutes for the 50kWh battery and 11 hours 20 minutes for the 75kWh battery.
All versions use the same electric motor with an output of 136hp and 260Nm of torque. Its maximum speed will be 130km/h and acceleration from 0-100km/h is 13.1 seconds. There will be three driving modes, and the maximum power and torque will only be available in the 'Power' mode. The 'Normal' mode will provide 109hp and 210Nm while the 'Eco' setting delivers 81hp and 180Nm to maximise driving range.
Here's our list of the electric vehicles currently on sale in Ireland.