Peugeot has updated its largest MPV, the E-Traveller, with the option of a larger battery pack from its Expert commercial vehicle analogue. That means range is up from 230km previously, to 350km now. The French company has also taken the opportunity to facelift its van-derived people carrier as well.
Bigger battery, grander interior
Peugeot will once again offer the E-Traveller in two body lengths, these being the 4.98-metre Standard and then the 5.33-metre Long. The cabin can be configured with anything from five to nine seats inside, as the MPV is aimed more at professional passenger transport operators - hotels, shuttles, taxis and so on) - than it is at private buyers, so there's even a set-up called Business VIP in which four independent seats face each other in the rear in a lounge-like arrangement.
Even with nine people onboard, the E-Traveller's boot is vast, offering up to 1,500 litres of space. With five people inside the van, you're looking at 3,000 litres, but drop human occupancy to just two or three people and a whopping 4,900 litres of space is on offer
The big news, however, is the battery pack. Unlike other Peugeot electrics which have been given a more powerful 115kW (156hp) motor in recent months, the E-Traveller sticks with the 100kW (136hp)/260Nm unit - but this is said to be more efficient than it was before.
And, equipped with a lithium-ion battery pack that's now 50 per cent bigger than it was before (75kWh, instead of 50kWh), the E-Traveller's one-shot driving range has increased. It'll now go up to 350km on a single charge, rather than just 230km as before.
In terms of battery charging times, they have increased slightly accordingly. The system will still take 100kW DC as its maximum charging speed, which results in 0-80 per cent battery power in 45 minutes. On an 11kW AC connection, it'll take seven-and-a-half hours to completely replenish the battery pack, while a more typical 7.4kW domestic AC wallbox should do the same job in 11 hours 20 minutes.
New looks and added technology
Outside, the E-Traveller adopts the look of the other revised Peugeot models of recent months, which means a new grille with the company's latest emblem in the centre of it, as well as the French firm's 'three-claw' LED headlights. The bumper is also subtly reshaped, supposedly fulfilling dual roles of greater protection and better aerodynamic efficiency.
Inside, a ten-inch digital instrument cluster pairs to a large central touchscreen of the same size (across the diagonal), while further comfort amenities are drafted into the E-Traveller's equipment list - such as the option of a heated steering wheel for the first time. Peugeot says it has also added more of and enlarged the interior storage compartments, especially on the centre console and dashboard as the MPV now has the small e-Toggle gearshift. New fabric and leather upholsteries, plus a different colour of interior trim, are also added.
Safety gear includes a driver fatigue warning, traffic sign recognition, lane keeping assist, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, and a speed limiter, but also for the first time on the E-Traveller there's now adaptive cruise control. Connectivity is also enhanced, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a wireless smartphone charger in the front centre console. Four USB-C ports and two 12-volt sockets are dotted about the cabin, too.