Peugeot e-208 Review

The Peugeot e-208 is a stylish small electric car that takes on the Renault Zoe and Mini Electric. Rather than being a different model to the petrol-powered 208 (like how the Zoe is different to Renault’s Clio), the e-208 is more like an engine variant in the overall 208 range.

This means it looks really similar to the normal 208 - which we’ve reviewed separately - and comes in the same trim levels and has most of the same equipment as standard. This makes buying one fairly simple, but we’ve put together a comprehensive buying guide below to help you make the right choice.

The e-208 has a 136hp electric motor and 50kWh battery pack, which allows for a driving range of 225 miles according to official tests. This is a little less than the Renault Zoe, which can drive 245 miles on a charge thanks to a slightly larger 52kWh battery, but it should be enough for city life and daily commuting.

Style is a big part of why you’d choose an e-208 as it’s very smart-looking for a small car, plus it has a pleasant and interesting interior. The electric power it uses means it has more performance where you need it than the petrol or diesel models in the range, plus it brings really low running costs if you’re able to charge at home.

It’s not the most spacious electric car around, and it’s also not as comfortable as you might expect, but the e-208 does a great job at being a useful daily car that just happens to be electric, rather than an electric car first and foremost. It makes the transition to an electric car just a little easier for buyers, and it doesn’t hurt that it’s one of the best-looking cars in its class.

Read on to find out everything you need to know about the Peugeot e-208, or click here to read about the petrol or diesel 208 models.

Should I get a Peugeot e-208?

The Peugeot e-208 is a great-looking small car that’s cheap to run, fun to drive and has a pleasant interior with lots of standard equipment. It’s even more appealing than the normal 208, as there are fewer rivals and it has a good electric driving range of 225 miles, although the high purchase price might mean it’s not as viable unless you’re planning on buying for the long term.

The e-208 is a bit too uncomfortable, so if you live somewhere with a lot of potholes or the roads are bumpy, it might not be as appealing as a Mini Electric, another stylish small electric car, but the e-208 is big enough to work as a family car for some people. It’s not an outstanding choice, but the e-208 is a good car that has plenty of appeal.

• Models explained
• Trim levels
• Motor
• Batteries and range
• Charge time
• Best e-208 for
• Rivals
• Dimensions
• Boot space
• Reliability
• Warranty
• Should I buy used?
• Deals

Peugeot e-208 (2019-present): models explained

Peugeot e-208

The Peugeot e-208 is an electric version of the normal 208 supermini. Rather than using a different model name and changing the look of the car, Peugeot decided to make the e-208 simply a version of the 208 that you can order from the same model range as petrol or diesel versions.

This is the opposite of Renault’s approach, as that French car maker has the Clio supermini and Zoe as different models even though they’re very similar in size and shape.

The e-208 uses a 50kWh battery and a 136hp electric motor, for a range of 225 miles. Earlier versions of the e-208 have a range of 217 miles, which isn’t much different but it just means you should try to find a 2022-on model to get the most efficient version possible. The 2019-2022 versions are incredibly similar, though, and if you can get a good price on them there’s no reason to avoid them.

Peugeot 208

The Peugeot 208 is the piston-powered version of the car and uses either a 1.2-litre petrol engine or a 1.5-litre diesel. We’ve got a full buying guide and review for this version of the car which you can find here.

The petrol has three versions: 75hp, 100hp and 130hp. The diesel is the most economical piston-powered version of the 208, but we prefer the petrol models for all-round use and they’re good value for money too.

CLICK TO READ OUR PEUGEOT 208 BUYERS' GUIDE

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Which Peugeot e-208 to buy: trim levels

 
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Best Peugeot e-208 motor

The e-208 gets a 136hp electric motor, making it the most powerful model in the 208 range even alongside the petrol versions. This means performance is really strong, and while it feels a bit out of its depth at higher motorway speeds, the punchy motor is excellent at nipping through traffic and getting up to speed from junctions. It’s even quite fun to drive because of the instant acceleration.

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Peugeot e-208 batteries and range

There’s only one battery in the Peugeot e-208. It’s a 50kWh unit and it provides 217 miles of range in 2019-2022 models and 225 miles in 2022-on versions, thanks to a small update that improved the car’s efficiency a bit.

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Peugeot e-208 charge time

Using a normal three-pin home plug, the e-208 can charge up fully in around 24 hours. Few owners will do this, though - they will have a home wallbox charger installed, which is able to charge at a faster rate of 7.4kWh. This method will refill the e-208 in seven and a half hours.

Using a public rapid charger is a good option when you’re on the move, as the e-208 supports up to 100kW charging. This means it can take on an 80% charge in just half an hour. The Zoe only supports 50kW rapid charging, though it does have 22kW AC charging if you can find a point quick enough.

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Best Peugeot e-208 model for…

There’s only one motor and battery set-up in the e-208 range but there are a handful of trim levels. You can read what’s included in each one above. We’ve put together a quick guide here as to which is best for you depending on what you are looking for.

	Peugeot e-208 Allure Premium: Move up one level from the base trim to get the Allure Premium model. This version has some important comforts not found on the entry-level car but doesn’t cost too much more.	Peugeot e-208 Allure Premium deals
	Peugeot e-208 GT: GT trim looks great and has all the modern tech you need for family life. It’s not the best value for money, but if budget isn’t an issue then the GT trim levels are the best-looking versions of the e-208.	Peugeot e-208 GT deals
	Peugeot e-208 GT Premium: There’s no difference between any of the models when it comes to performance - all take around 8.1 seconds to go from 0-62mph and have 136hp.	Peugeot e-208 GT Premium deals
	Peugeot e-208 Active Premium: The entry-level model is reasonably well-equipped but if you can afford the e-208 then you should move up to a higher trim to get the best value for money. If you can’t stretch to those, choose a petrol 208 instead.	Peugeot e-208 Active Premium deals

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Peugeot e-208 rivals

Two key rivals for the Peugeot e-208 are the Renault Zoe and Mini Electric. These models are both style-focused like the e-208 and have a similar driving range and space inside. There’s also the Vauxhall Corsa-e, which is based on the same tech as the Peugeot and has the same battery and electric motor. They look quite similar inside as well, though there are quite a few differences and you might prefer the Vauxhall.

You might also consider a Toyota Yaris or Honda Jazz - these aren’t electric cars but they are hybrids, and they bring high fuel economy and better practicality than the e-208, plus they’re much more comfortable as well.

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Peugeot e-208 practicality: dimensions and boot space

Peugeot e-208 dimensions

The Peugeot e-208 is the same size as the normal 208, so it’s 4.1m long, 1.8m wide and 1.4m tall. This means it’s longer than a Mini Electric but about the same in terms of width and height. It’s not a big car but there’s actually enough room in most modern superminis for a small family.

There’s a decent amount of space in the back but adults won’t be the most comfortable especially if there’s a tall driver. It’s fine for kids, though, and there’s actually a good amount of headroom in the back.

CLICK TO READ OUR FULL STORY ON PEUGEOT E-208 DIMENSIONS

Peugeot e-208 boot space

The e-208 has a decent boot for an electric car, as the batteries are stored under the floor of the car rather than under the boot specifically. The 311 litres of space is the same as in the petrol-powered 208, and if you fold down the seats this expands to 1,106 litres.

These figures are about average for a supermini and there’s enough space for shopping and normal duties, but things like bicycles might be a tight squeeze depending on how big they are. The Renault Zoe has a bit more room, with 338 litres of luggage space.

CLICK TO READ OUR FULL STORY ON PEUGEOT E-208 BOOT SPACE

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Peugeot e-208 reliability

The Peugeot 208 came in 37th place in the 2022 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, and this includes the e-208 model as well. This means that it should be very reliable, as we’d expect the electric model to have fewer problems than the petrol or diesel cars. This is because there are fewer moving parts that can wear out or break over time. However, the e-208 is still quite a new model so there’s no long-term data on reliability yet.

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Peugeot e-208 warranty

The Peugeot e-208 comes with a warranty of three years or 60,000 miles, which is the bare minimum we would expect of any new car. It’s not exactly outstanding but nor is it disappointing, since most models come with the same level of cover. The battery is covered for eight years or 100,000 miles, which is also an industry standard for electric cars and you can have the battery replaced if it loses more than 30 per cent of its capacity in that time.

AVERAGE REPAIR COST PAID BY WARRANTYWISE: £406

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON USED CAR WARRANTIES

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Used Peugeot e-208: should I buy one?

The Peugeot e-208 is a really stylish small car and the electric powertrain is really impressive. It has a decent amount of range and lots of performance at a relatively good price, plus it’s easy to drive, quiet in traffic, has enough room inside for a small family and has lots of standard equipment.

It’s not as comfortable as a Mini Electric or as spacious as a Renault Zoe, though, so the e-208 isn’t without drawbacks. It’s able to charge quickly, which is great for longer trips, but the potential for really low running costs comes if you can charge at home. If you can, and you love the looks, the e-208 is well worth a look. It should be really reliable too, so it makes a good used choice.

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Best Peugeot e-208 deals

Entry-level versions of the e-208 are a bit cheaper but not by much, so we’d move up to Allure Premium if you can. It’s fitted with some more comforts that make daily life a bit easier, and since all models drive the same, you’re not missing out on anything by going for this mid-spec model.

If you want a version that looks sportier and more eye-catching, the GT version is a good option. It’s better value than the top-spec GT Premium version and gets all the equipment you could really need.

GT Premium is the top-spec trim, so it’s a bit expensive to recommend fully, but there’s no doubt that it looks great and has loads of kit. If you can afford it, this is the ultimate version of the e-208.

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