Is this a 2022 e208? I don't recognise the description of the slider and screen, but I know there have been changes since the 70 plate car I have. Perhaps post a picture?

Did you install the Peugeot app? There is a digital handbook in the 'vehicle information' section. Not as good as paper I agree.

My car defaults to 'normal' mode when I turn it on but I always drive it in eco unless I need the heating or joining the A1 from a layby so am wondering if there is any setting that can set the default drive mode to be eco?

 

Hello
yes it is the 2022 model is always in eco.

 

I only use Normal in my van (has the exact same EV hardware as your car) because Eco shuts off the aircon, and it's possible to access the full 100kw (134bhp) in any mode by pressing the accelerator all the way down, then a bit further, so Sport is pointless.

 

It should always start in normal - on mine I just press the part of the button towards the rear of the car and it goes into sport - to go to eco you need to go through normal and on to eco by pressing the part of the button closest to the front of the car.

ah - I've twigged.....

what you are describing on the right is the economy gauge - eco there means if you keep the band in that zone then it's efficient.

I can see your confusion though

just refer to the gauge on the right as the economy gauge

The car should start up in normal mode though.

ECO reduces your throttle response but if you plant the accelerator then you do get power!

it also reduces the effectiveness of the heater/aircon

JJ

 

Thank you JJ I just wish it wasn’t all so confusing
peter.

 

The right hand meter has nothing to do with the drive modes, as mentioned. The "Charge", "Eco" and "Power" parts of the meter just show you what the traction system is doing at that exact moment. You can almost think of it like a tachometer in an ICE car. You generally want to keep the meter in the "eco" blue section when driving, and honestly as close to the bottom of it as possible for maximum range.

The drive modes (Eco, Normal, Sport) are different and change the behaviour of the throttle response from "dragging an anchor through treacle" on one end through "normal" to "snappy and much increased response". You still want to keep that right hand meter in the blue if possible when driving it though.

The Eco and Sport modes also do a couple of other things that affect the range.

1. Eco mode sets the fun gauge and the comfort gauge to zero - it deadens the throttle response and it crucially shuts off the climate system so you get no AC in the summer and no heat in the winter. It also limits the power output of the motor. In my opinion this mode is for extreme emergencies only and should be avoided under normal conditions although other posters on here swear by using it. I never need the extra efficiency during commuting and if I am doing an extended range drive then I just drive a little slower to push the range out rather than shutting off all the creature comforts. YMMV.
2. Normal mode is how the car was originally tuned - the throttle response is standard, so it will pull more like a traditional car with a slight delay to make it feel a bit like an ICE vehicle. The climate system will run in this mode. I do 95% of my driving in this mode, including long range trips. In this mode the car will only actively heat the traction battery if the power demand on it remains high for several seconds and the traction pack is otherwise cold.
3. Sport mode improves the throttle response to make it much more like a sporty EV. The pull is immediate and it ramps to high power output very quickly. This mode also turns on the traction battery heating system right away, regardless of power demand so this will hurt your range in the winter since there's no need to heat the pack to optimum temperature for sporty driving if you're just cruising around. What it will allow you to do is to effectively pre-heat the battery to optimum temperature for rapid charging if it's especially cold.

On the 2019 and 2020 e208 the drive mode always reset to Normal when you switched the car off and you had to select it every time. I believe they changed this behaviour with the 22 model (maybe?) that it was meant to remember the last setting it was in and start back up in this mode. I'm not sure if this is true.

Either way, the mode it's in is spelled out in the dash where the speed is. The power meter on the right will always remain the same, except it gets trimmed with an accent colour in Sport mode.

By far the best way to improve the efficiency when cruising on the motorway is simply to slow down a little. If you can keep the efficiency meter as close to the bottom of the blue "eco" segment as possible you'll maximise your range far more than if you just put the car in the Eco drive mode.

Whether the car is in Eco mode or Normal mode, if you are driving at 70 mph on the motorway the energy consumption from the traction system will be the same. The only thing Eco saves you here is the power to run the climate system, which is relatively small compared to the energy used to move the car forwards. Cutting to 55-60 mph will save you much more energy and you won't have to wear wooly mittens and a hat.

 

The right hand meter has nothing to do with the drive modes, as mentioned. The "Charge", "Eco" and "Power" parts of the meter just show you what the traction system is doing at that exact moment. You can almost think of it like a tachometer in an ICE car. You generally want to keep the meter in the "eco" blue section when driving, and honestly as close to the bottom of it as possible for maximum range.

The drive modes (Eco, Normal, Sport) are different and change the behaviour of the throttle response from "dragging an anchor through treacle" on one end through "normal" to "snappy and much increased response". You still want to keep that right hand meter in the blue if possible when driving it though.

The Eco and Sport modes also do a couple of other things that affect the range.

1. Eco mode sets the fun gauge and the comfort gauge to zero - it deadens the throttle response and it crucially shuts off the climate system so you get no AC in the summer and no heat in the winter. It also limits the power output of the motor. In my opinion this mode is for extreme emergencies only and should be avoided under normal conditions although other posters on here swear by using it. I never need the extra efficiency during commuting and if I am doing an extended range drive then I just drive a little slower to push the range out rather than shutting off all the creature comforts. YMMV.
2. Normal mode is how the car was originally tuned - the throttle response is standard, so it will pull more like a traditional car with a slight delay to make it feel a bit like an ICE vehicle. The climate system will run in this mode. I do 95% of my driving in this mode, including long range trips. In this mode the car will only actively heat the traction battery if the power demand on it remains high for several seconds and the traction pack is otherwise cold.
3. Sport mode improves the throttle response to make it much more like a sporty EV. The pull is immediate and it ramps to high power output very quickly. This mode also turns on the traction battery heating system right away, regardless of power demand so this will hurt your range in the winter since there's no need to heat the pack to optimum temperature for sporty driving if you're just cruising around. What it will allow you to do is to effectively pre-heat the battery to optimum temperature for rapid charging if it's especially cold.

On the 2019 and 2020 e208 the drive mode always reset to Normal when you switched the car off and you had to select it every time. I believe they changed this behaviour with the 22 model (maybe?) that it was meant to remember the last setting it was in and start back up in this mode. I'm not sure if this is true.

Either way, the mode it's in is spelled out in the dash where the speed is. The power meter on the right will always remain the same, except it gets trimmed with an accent colour in Sport mode.

By far the best way to improve the efficiency when cruising on the motorway is simply to slow down a little. If you can keep the efficiency meter as close to the bottom of the blue "eco" segment as possible you'll maximise your range far more than if you just put the car in the Eco drive mode.

Whether the car is in Eco mode or Normal mode, if you are driving at 70 mph on the motorway the energy consumption from the traction system will be the same. The only thing Eco saves you here is the power to run the climate system, which is relatively small compared to the energy used to move the car forwards. Cutting to 55-60 mph will save you much more energy and you won't have to wear wooly mittens and a hat.

Still intrigued by the car starting in eco mode

JJ

 

That's a great bit of information Captain Penguin, especially the fact about sport mode pre-heating the battery for a rapid charge on a cold day. How long does it have to be on to warm up the battery?

Now the problem is that I've spent all my previous car life driving low powered ICE cars. I prefer eco mode as it's the acceleration I'm used to, and I like to drive in a relaxed semi-medative state, enjoying the scenery, even on the A1. The e208 is especially relaxing with regenerative breaking on - hardly any need to actually move to break. I can thoroughly recommend this style of travelling in an e208. Probably I am that annoying driver that is in your way when you are in a hurry. Sport mode is scary - but I'll try and remember to turn it on next time I'm about to charge, and hope I don't accidentally end up doing doughnuts around the Ionity chargers at Peterborough Services.

 

Still intrigued by the car starting in eco mode

JJ

 

Thank you cpt penguin very informative

 

What a great thread! I have a 2022 vehicle and mine certainly always starts in Eco whatever mode I left it in. I must admit that I do use Eco quite a bit, but tend to toggle between this and Normal according to road conditions and cabin temperature/screen misting etc. I'm probably now being very scientific about this, and the awkward position of the mode control is quite discouraging, in any case! I suppose my thinking is just that if I arrive home with the range indicator saying 100 miles in Eco, but 92 in Normal, won't this mean I need less electricity to charge up... fractionally? Or is that bonkers?!

And could Capt Penguin just suggest a sensible plan for using Sport prior to 'on the go' charging? So, would it be good to switch to Sport for 10 miles... 5 miles... 20 miles before charging at a Rapid charger?