Are you getting a new one or a recent used one with the bigger 54kWh battery? (maybe a different list of niggles to the original e208..)
What should you have known before buying your e208?
I'm looking to swap out of my MG ZS (mk1) into something smaller and sportier.
What are the common niggles have experienced so far?
What should I be aware of before jumping ship?
Thanks
What are the common niggles have experienced so far?
What should I be aware of before jumping ship?
Thanks
1 - 20 of 37 Posts
That's a good question - I didn't realise that there was a newer larger battery - the salesman I spoke with today said the new one was 51kW...Are you getting a new one or a recent used one with the bigger 54kWh battery? (maybe a different list of niggles to the original e208..)
I thought the new one had 54 kW, but it might be 51 kW usable?
Niggles
Honestly these are all trivial niggles / first world problems (apart from the recall I suppose). The car is great to drive, sporty if you want, peaceful if you want. Comfortable seats. Rapid charging is quite quick for a cheaper EV. No mechanical issues so far (driven 20,000 miles, car now at 30,000 miles).
Niggles
- well just found out there is a recall on mine (70 plate)
- the steering wheel position divides the crowd. I like it
- heating adjustment on the screen is fiddly
- Stelliantis cars known to lose extra range in winter - but might be better in the new e208.
- There's a free subscription on the live traffic that expires after 3 years (my salesman didn't mention) though you can use carplay.
- The traffic software (with the subscription) makes an ear piercing sound when going through a speed camera. You can turn it off though.
- The app is crap. OK for pre-conditioning.
- No light by the charging socket.
- Nowhere for the charging cable to go (but do you really need it?).
- My version doesn't have an option to limit charging to 80%
- Garage didn't give me a paper log book initially. But worth getting one as the 'electronic log' with the app a) restricts you to servicing at Peugeot garages b) didn't work for me.
Honestly these are all trivial niggles / first world problems (apart from the recall I suppose). The car is great to drive, sporty if you want, peaceful if you want. Comfortable seats. Rapid charging is quite quick for a cheaper EV. No mechanical issues so far (driven 20,000 miles, car now at 30,000 miles).
@sean1001
You can adjust that volume but only when it's playing (grrrr) but you can time it 👍🏻
@smithgt defo watch a load or the YouTube vids of people reviewing them. I learnt a lot and I moved from a zoe to this and it was night and day in the experience.
the 208 feels like a proper car unlike the Zoe where I felt like I was sat on top of a load of batteries.
the cabin is a bit close in the 208 but I love that "encased" feel
the 3D dash is essential and the matrix LED lights are what makes the car look amazing from the front.
i took part in an interview with pug about the car and what I liked and didn't and my 30mins went on for over an hour.
There is so much that's interesting in the car from the 3D rear headlights to the sliding arm rest
don't get black as all the contracting black sections are lost
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You can adjust that volume but only when it's playing (grrrr) but you can time it 👍🏻
@smithgt defo watch a load or the YouTube vids of people reviewing them. I learnt a lot and I moved from a zoe to this and it was night and day in the experience.
the 208 feels like a proper car unlike the Zoe where I felt like I was sat on top of a load of batteries.
the cabin is a bit close in the 208 but I love that "encased" feel
the 3D dash is essential and the matrix LED lights are what makes the car look amazing from the front.
i took part in an interview with pug about the car and what I liked and didn't and my 30mins went on for over an hour.
There is so much that's interesting in the car from the 3D rear headlights to the sliding arm rest
don't get black as all the contracting black sections are lost
I got black for precisely that reason. On the black ones they paint the wheel arch trim pieces the same colour as the body, which isn't actually black, but has metallic speckles in it that glint in the sun. That said, it looks okay in yellow, if you're going for a bold colour and you like contrast.don't get black as all the contracting black sections are lost
Personally, I like the fact that without the contrast, it looks 'normal', and isn't trying to ape the looks of a massive SUV. It's a smaller car and proud of it. Reminded me a lot of my old Peugeot 205.
The ride is firm, probably due to low-profile tyres, so when you hit a pothole, you really feel it.
maw you miss all the cool design cues but that's ok - it's your carI got black for precisely that reason. On the black ones they paint the wheel arch trim pieces the same colour as the body, which isn't actually black, but has metallic speckles in it that glint in the sun. That said, it looks okay in yellow, if you're going for a bold colour and you like contrast.
Personally, I like the fact that without the contrast, it looks 'normal', and isn't trying to ape the looks of a massive SUV. It's a smaller car and proud of it. Reminded me a lot of my old Peugeot 205.
The ride is firm, probably due to low-profile tyres, so when you hit a pothole, you really feel it.
The designers hate you though haha
I love the blue but the Pearl yellow is my fave but the missus doesn't like it
JJ
I have found the strap for holding the case which holds the charging cable in the boot keeps coming out of its retainer, had to put a piece across the strap to hold it in place.
Passenger side seatbelt clicks against the plastic when not in use.
As mentioned the lack of a physical button for the temperature.
Passenger side seatbelt clicks against the plastic when not in use.
As mentioned the lack of a physical button for the temperature.
I just (April) got an e-208 GT that was pre-registered by the dealer in November 2022, 10 miles on the clock and a discount of 19.6% on the factory order price for the same spec. All the options other than sunroof, keyless access and wireless charging. Apparently a big batch of e-208 GTs got dumped on the dealers in Q4’22 and have been hard to sell, thanks to Peugeot corporate announcing the 51kW upgrade, and special finance deals but only on factory orders.
So, keep a lookout for these as they seem to be good value (my dealer‘s still got a 10 mile GT on the forecourt for £29,990).
I think the GT is worth the premium given the various extras you get with this model. I’d download the electronic specification and pricing brochure and get a clear list of what the extras are and whether they’re important to you, so you can be happy with the specific configuration of any forecourt cars you’re looking at. Otherwise it’s easy to miss something that you’d regret the absence of later.
Personally, I would like to have had keyless access even if I had to pay the order price for it, but I can live with its absence. Wireless charging would be convenient, but to use Apple CarPlay you need to wire into the USB anyway, so that’s not such a big deal. I would also have opted to order a sunroof but this would have led to a standoff with my partner, who hates them, so I’m happy that the decision has been made by default.
Heated seats seem to have been quietly dropped as an option and while I have these in my ICE car, and like them because I have a bad back, I’m not sure they make sense in an electric vehicle given their power drain. So again, I can live with not having them. A much more significant difference vs my ICE car is the absence of electric seats, as I share the car with my partner and have got used to it readjusting the seats and mirrors when we swap.
I also test drove the Citroën E-C4 and have to admit it has the better suspension in terms of softening pot holes and bad road surfaces. But it wasn’t enough to make it the preferred choice.
A minor point re the GT is that its wheel spec can’t take snow chains whereas the lower spec versions can, by virtue of their smaller wheels.
At some point recently, the GT got the TomTom integral SatNav with a 3-year subscription from the registration date. I’ve used this and Waze-via-Carplay and I’m still undecided - each sometimes seem to plan the better route and do some things more easily.
What swung me towards choosing the Peugeot was all the extras I got as standard with the GT and the design of the interior, which I preferred to the Citroën, and which seem in a different class to the MG 4EV In terms of materials and finish.
But bear in mind that with a second ICE car, range wasn’t such a big factor for us, and with just the two of us, back seat space wasn’t a factor either. The modest extra range of the latest e-208 version was not enough of a hike to make it worth paying an extra £6500 for a factory order, or waiting for production and delivery.
So, keep a lookout for these as they seem to be good value (my dealer‘s still got a 10 mile GT on the forecourt for £29,990).
I think the GT is worth the premium given the various extras you get with this model. I’d download the electronic specification and pricing brochure and get a clear list of what the extras are and whether they’re important to you, so you can be happy with the specific configuration of any forecourt cars you’re looking at. Otherwise it’s easy to miss something that you’d regret the absence of later.
Personally, I would like to have had keyless access even if I had to pay the order price for it, but I can live with its absence. Wireless charging would be convenient, but to use Apple CarPlay you need to wire into the USB anyway, so that’s not such a big deal. I would also have opted to order a sunroof but this would have led to a standoff with my partner, who hates them, so I’m happy that the decision has been made by default.
Heated seats seem to have been quietly dropped as an option and while I have these in my ICE car, and like them because I have a bad back, I’m not sure they make sense in an electric vehicle given their power drain. So again, I can live with not having them. A much more significant difference vs my ICE car is the absence of electric seats, as I share the car with my partner and have got used to it readjusting the seats and mirrors when we swap.
I also test drove the Citroën E-C4 and have to admit it has the better suspension in terms of softening pot holes and bad road surfaces. But it wasn’t enough to make it the preferred choice.
A minor point re the GT is that its wheel spec can’t take snow chains whereas the lower spec versions can, by virtue of their smaller wheels.
At some point recently, the GT got the TomTom integral SatNav with a 3-year subscription from the registration date. I’ve used this and Waze-via-Carplay and I’m still undecided - each sometimes seem to plan the better route and do some things more easily.
What swung me towards choosing the Peugeot was all the extras I got as standard with the GT and the design of the interior, which I preferred to the Citroën, and which seem in a different class to the MG 4EV In terms of materials and finish.
But bear in mind that with a second ICE car, range wasn’t such a big factor for us, and with just the two of us, back seat space wasn’t a factor either. The modest extra range of the latest e-208 version was not enough of a hike to make it worth paying an extra £6500 for a factory order, or waiting for production and delivery.
My GT has heated seats, keyless and wide screen displayI just (April) got an e-208 GT that was pre-registered by the dealer in November 2022, 10 miles on the clock and a discount of 19.6% on the factory order price for the same spec. All the options other than sunroof, keyless access and wireless charging. Apparently a big batch of e-208 GTs got dumped on the dealers in Q4’22 and have been hard to sell, thanks to Peugeot corporate announcing the 51kW upgrade, and special finance deals but only on factory orders.
So, keep a lookout for these as they seem to be good value (my dealer‘s still got a 10 mile GT on the forecourt for £29,990).
I think the GT is worth the premium given the various extras you get with this model. I’d download the electronic specification and pricing brochure and get a clear list of what the extras are and whether they’re important to you, so you can be happy with the specific configuration of any forecourt cars you’re looking at. Otherwise it’s easy to miss something that you’d regret the absence of later.
Personally, I would like to have had keyless access even if I had to pay the order price for it, but I can live with its absence. Wireless charging would be convenient, but to use Apple CarPlay you need to wire into the USB anyway, so that’s not such a big deal. I would also have opted to order a sunroof but this would have led to a standoff with my partner, who hates them, so I’m happy that the decision has been made by default.
Heated seats seem to have been quietly dropped as an option and while I have these in my ICE car, and like them because I have a bad back, I’m not sure they make sense in an electric vehicle given their power drain. So again, I can live with not having them. A much more significant difference vs my ICE car is the absence of electric seats, as I share the car with my partner and have got used to it readjusting the seats and mirrors when we swap.
I also test drove the Citroën E-C4 and have to admit it has the better suspension in terms of softening pot holes and bad road surfaces. But it wasn’t enough to make it the preferred choice.
A minor point re the GT is that its wheel spec can’t take snow chains whereas the lower spec versions can, by virtue of their smaller wheels.
At some point recently, the GT got the TomTom integral SatNav with a 3-year subscription from the registration date. I’ve used this and Waze-via-Carplay and I’m still undecided - each sometimes seem to plan the better route and do some things more easily.
What swung me towards choosing the Peugeot was all the extras I got as standard with the GT and the design of the interior, which I preferred to the Citroën, and which seem in a different class to the MG 4EV In terms of materials and finish.
But bear in mind that with a second ICE car, range wasn’t such a big factor for us, and with just the two of us, back seat space wasn’t a factor either. The modest extra range of the latest e-208 version was not enough of a hike to make it worth paying an extra £6500 for a factory order, or waiting for production and delivery.
Wireless charging was dropped due to availability as I had it as standard on my GT line
Looks like they've merged the 2 GT levels of trim but compromised on the extras
JJ
I have a 2020 e-208 GT-line with extra options that make it a full GT spec but without the Alcantara seating. From one of the very first batches.
One can talk about options, but I believe this is less valuable to discuss as it is pretty clear what you get and can expect. Just one thing as discussed here: the heated seats allow you to reduce cabin temperature in winter and that does increase winter range significantly. Because winter range is the Achilles heal of the e-208, certainly with the first models.
There are a few noteworthy things one should know before buying an e-208 that may make you decide to buy another car. That is what I will talk about, because I believe that is the intention of this thread.
Before I start, I want to state upfront that I love the e-208, I would buy it again. Apart from a few quirks, Peugeot nailed every single detail right for use as an urban area transport machine.
That brings me to the first point: range. For long haul it is usable, but if long haul (> 150 km per day or more than 200 km on vacation trips) is your daily use case, this car is not the best choice. The advertised range is not what you will get if you travel the highways: you will have to recharge 30 minutes every 150 km. In winter it may drop even lower, but that depends on how you use the car. If you are not paying attention, you will be charging 30 minutes every 120 km in winter. I understand newer models are better, but I do not have experience with those.
The advertised range is a bit over 300 km (about 190 miles), but there are two things you need to know:
If long haul is what you need, buy Tesla. Tesla is the efficiency king (least kWh / 100km) and the supercharger network is second to none, with electricity prices a fraction of what you pay for the e-208 at any fast charger.
But for us, all that is of no consequence. Because we have the Diesel for chewing miles - even cheaper than Tesla - or when we need more space. And we use the Diesel for less than 5% of our transport requirements.
For urban area driving where the range is much less of an issue, this is the perfect little machine. It is nimble, fast, quiet, small, economical, well built, drives like an F1 cart. The suspension is really hard. If you have many potholes it will break your back. Drive carefully over speed bumps to prevent launching. On well maintained roads it just flies, it is a wonderful smooth and quiet ride.
You can learn to drive economically, there are tips here. City driving at low speed on mild days you turn off the aircon and your consumption drops to between 10 and 14 kWh / 100km, it beats Tesla. The permanent magnet synchronous motor is perfect for that use. That means you get 190km - 270km (120 - 170 miles) of usable 20-80% SoC range for short trips, which is phenomenal and unbeatable today.
If you have a driveway and solar PV with divert function, the fun only gets better. When on the driveway, stick in the plug and let it charge to 80%. You will always have range. The diesel we have is a hybrid (Mercedes) and in urban service it slurps 7 litre / 100km at 1.75€ per litre today that is 12.25€ / 100km. Using 18.6 kWh/100km at 6 cents per kWh (what I get for injection into the grid), the Peugeot gets 100km in urban setting done at 1.12 €, less than one tenth of the cost. Public AC chargers will @ 58 cents will make that 10.8€/100km - much less attractive. And using a DC fast charger it becomes more expensive than the diesel, 16.5 € / 100km. Not specific to the e-208, but most novice EV users find out too late.
The second point: the only other nag I have for the e-208 is its fiddly infotainment that is less than optimal. The range guesser is a farce. Setting the temperature in the cabin is not something you can do while driving, very unsafe. You need to park.
One can talk about options, but I believe this is less valuable to discuss as it is pretty clear what you get and can expect. Just one thing as discussed here: the heated seats allow you to reduce cabin temperature in winter and that does increase winter range significantly. Because winter range is the Achilles heal of the e-208, certainly with the first models.
There are a few noteworthy things one should know before buying an e-208 that may make you decide to buy another car. That is what I will talk about, because I believe that is the intention of this thread.
Before I start, I want to state upfront that I love the e-208, I would buy it again. Apart from a few quirks, Peugeot nailed every single detail right for use as an urban area transport machine.
That brings me to the first point: range. For long haul it is usable, but if long haul (> 150 km per day or more than 200 km on vacation trips) is your daily use case, this car is not the best choice. The advertised range is not what you will get if you travel the highways: you will have to recharge 30 minutes every 150 km. In winter it may drop even lower, but that depends on how you use the car. If you are not paying attention, you will be charging 30 minutes every 120 km in winter. I understand newer models are better, but I do not have experience with those.
The advertised range is a bit over 300 km (about 190 miles), but there are two things you need to know:
- If you want your Li NMC battery to last, the usable charge is between 20 and 80%, so 60% of 45 kWh or 27 kWh. It is possible to do 0 to 100 and back to 0 but that will kill your battery more quickly and charging those last few kWh is very wasteful. The efficiency of charge once beyond 85% is lower than 70%. The last few kWh the efficiency is lower than 50%. Meaning you pay for over 2kWh to get 1kWh in the battery. So in practice, I almost never do that. I charge to 100% only if I know I will do a long trip soon.
- A 300km range on 45 kWh means the advertised consumption is an average of 15 kWh per 100km. That is not what I get. My average is 18.6 kWh in Urban setting. So the 0-100 range really is an average of 240 km (150 miles). The real usable range taking care of battery and charge efficiency is 145 km (90 miles).
If long haul is what you need, buy Tesla. Tesla is the efficiency king (least kWh / 100km) and the supercharger network is second to none, with electricity prices a fraction of what you pay for the e-208 at any fast charger.
But for us, all that is of no consequence. Because we have the Diesel for chewing miles - even cheaper than Tesla - or when we need more space. And we use the Diesel for less than 5% of our transport requirements.
For urban area driving where the range is much less of an issue, this is the perfect little machine. It is nimble, fast, quiet, small, economical, well built, drives like an F1 cart. The suspension is really hard. If you have many potholes it will break your back. Drive carefully over speed bumps to prevent launching. On well maintained roads it just flies, it is a wonderful smooth and quiet ride.
You can learn to drive economically, there are tips here. City driving at low speed on mild days you turn off the aircon and your consumption drops to between 10 and 14 kWh / 100km, it beats Tesla. The permanent magnet synchronous motor is perfect for that use. That means you get 190km - 270km (120 - 170 miles) of usable 20-80% SoC range for short trips, which is phenomenal and unbeatable today.
If you have a driveway and solar PV with divert function, the fun only gets better. When on the driveway, stick in the plug and let it charge to 80%. You will always have range. The diesel we have is a hybrid (Mercedes) and in urban service it slurps 7 litre / 100km at 1.75€ per litre today that is 12.25€ / 100km. Using 18.6 kWh/100km at 6 cents per kWh (what I get for injection into the grid), the Peugeot gets 100km in urban setting done at 1.12 €, less than one tenth of the cost. Public AC chargers will @ 58 cents will make that 10.8€/100km - much less attractive. And using a DC fast charger it becomes more expensive than the diesel, 16.5 € / 100km. Not specific to the e-208, but most novice EV users find out too late.
The second point: the only other nag I have for the e-208 is its fiddly infotainment that is less than optimal. The range guesser is a farce. Setting the temperature in the cabin is not something you can do while driving, very unsafe. You need to park.
Yes, I agree with that. Basically for a daily commute car you need to be no more than 45 miles away in the middle of winter (or recharge at work). The newer e208s might stretch that to 55 miles away.
It's actually really good on fast country roads and A roads too. Not just a city car.
Probably a perfect second car, or a main car for a 1-3 person household who only occasionally make long journeys and don't mind a few extra stops on the way.
It's actually really good on fast country roads and A roads too. Not just a city car.
Probably a perfect second car, or a main car for a 1-3 person household who only occasionally make long journeys and don't mind a few extra stops on the way.
I don't think you'll be disappointed. It's a great car - plenty of nip, holds the road well - so great for enthusiastic driving... but this all eats into the range, of course. I've done 15000 miles in my first year and loved it. I have GT Premium + roof, parking (which I've never used) and heated seats which were extra at the time I bought it. Main issue for me is getting any sense out of Peugeot people - (HQ and dealership) - as to service intervals. Mind the values - if I weren't on a PCP, I'd be concerned to see second hand models available with few miles for almost half what I paid in May 22. Obviously, coming out of a much larger car, you'll miss the space - the 208 is really quite small... but then it's easier to keep clean! I took a ZS for a test drive but didn't like the vague steering. The 208 goes down the road like a golf ball just like my 1986 205GTi.
I disagree hugely with thatI have a 2020 e-208 GT-line with extra options that make it a full GT spec but without the Alcantara seating. From one of the very first batches.
One can talk about options, but I believe this is less valuable to discuss as it is pretty clear what you get and can expect. Just one thing as discussed here: the heated seats allow you to reduce cabin temperature in winter and that does increase winter range significantly. Because winter range is the Achilles heal of the e-208, certainly with the first models.
There are a few noteworthy things one should know before buying an e-208 that may make you decide to buy another car. That is what I will talk about, because I believe that is the intention of this thread.
Before I start, I want to state upfront that I love the e-208, I would buy it again. Apart from a few quirks, Peugeot nailed every single detail right for use as an urban area transport machine.
That brings me to the first point: range. For long haul it is usable, but if long haul (> 150 km per day or more than 200 km on vacation trips) is your daily use case, this car is not the best choice. The advertised range is not what you will get if you travel the highways: you will have to recharge 30 minutes every 150 km. In winter it may drop even lower, but that depends on how you use the car. If you are not paying attention, you will be charging 30 minutes every 120 km in winter. I understand newer models are better, but I do not have experience with those.
The advertised range is a bit over 300 km (about 190 miles), but there are two things you need to know:
This is just to illustrate the point that the e-208 is not a mile chewer. If you do chew miles, you can get better range on warmer days. The consumption drops to between 16 and 17 kWh per 100km if you drive calm. If you use it at 120km/h on the highway, the consumption jumps to 22.5 kWh/100km. The car is boxy and the permanent magnet motor is perfect for urban traffic, but inefficient at speed.
- If you want your Li NMC battery to last, the usable charge is between 20 and 80%, so 60% of 45 kWh or 27 kWh. It is possible to do 0 to 100 and back to 0 but that will kill your battery more quickly and charging those last few kWh is very wasteful. The efficiency of charge once beyond 85% is lower than 70%. The last few kWh the efficiency is lower than 50%. Meaning you pay for over 2kWh to get 1kWh in the battery. So in practice, I almost never do that. I charge to 100% only if I know I will do a long trip soon.
- A 300km range on 45 kWh means the advertised consumption is an average of 15 kWh per 100km. That is not what I get. My average is 18.6 kWh in Urban setting. So the 0-100 range really is an average of 240 km (150 miles). The real usable range taking care of battery and charge efficiency is 145 km (90 miles).
If long haul is what you need, buy Tesla. Tesla is the efficiency king (least kWh / 100km) and the supercharger network is second to none, with electricity prices a fraction of what you pay for the e-208 at any fast charger.
But for us, all that is of no consequence. Because we have the Diesel for chewing miles - even cheaper than Tesla - or when we need more space. And we use the Diesel for less than 5% of our transport requirements.
For urban area driving where the range is much less of an issue, this is the perfect little machine. It is nimble, fast, quiet, small, economical, well built, drives like an F1 cart. The suspension is really hard. If you have many potholes it will break your back. Drive carefully over speed bumps to prevent launching. On well maintained roads it just flies, it is a wonderful smooth and quiet ride.
You can learn to drive economically, there are tips here. City driving at low speed on mild days you turn off the aircon and your consumption drops to between 10 and 14 kWh / 100km, it beats Tesla. The permanent magnet synchronous motor is perfect for that use. That means you get 190km - 270km (120 - 170 miles) of usable 20-80% SoC range for short trips, which is phenomenal and unbeatable today.
If you have a driveway and solar PV with divert function, the fun only gets better. When on the driveway, stick in the plug and let it charge to 80%. You will always have range. The diesel we have is a hybrid (Mercedes) and in urban service it slurps 7 litre / 100km at 1.75€ per litre today that is 12.25€ / 100km. Using 18.6 kWh/100km at 6 cents per kWh (what I get for injection into the grid), the Peugeot gets 100km in urban setting done at 1.12 €, less than one tenth of the cost. Public AC chargers will @ 58 cents will make that 10.8€/100km - much less attractive. And using a DC fast charger it becomes more expensive than the diesel, 16.5 € / 100km. Not specific to the e-208, but most novice EV users find out too late.
The second point: the only other nag I have for the e-208 is its fiddly infotainment that is less than optimal. The range guesser is a farce. Setting the temperature in the cabin is not something you can do while driving, very unsafe. You need to park.
I regularly do 180 miles along the motorway (M4 then M25) from Bristol to my parents in Essex.
I don't need to stop in the summer and I only need to stop for 15mins in the winter.
I never get 5miles per kWh
But 4.5 x 45 = over 200miles range.
So if you are only getting 150km (93miles) then something is weird
18.6 kWH / 100km is only just over 3mpkwh which is ridiculously low - even in urban.
JJ
When doing the research on the e-208 it was striking how much divergence there was re range across the various journalist and owner reviews. In one owner review, the guy did a trip from N.London to Brighton in the winter in the rain on a windy day with two bicycles on the roof and complained about the range. It read like he didn’t have a garage or home charger either. In other reviews, people had warm garages with chargers; pre-heated/cooled while charging; no external equipment; used ECO and B; and moderated their motorway speed.
So I think that the range you’ll get is going to be very dependent on how much you’re prepared to alter your driving ‘model‘ to address the limitation of battery-powered cars. And to acknowledge that there’s a relatively sparse distribution of public charge points compared to petrol stations.
When I was young, I remember my Dad still had BP and Esso road maps which showed you where the petrol stations were. As a salesman in the 1950s, covering S. London and Sussex, he’d never have embarked on a road journey without being sure of where he‘d be able to fill up, otherwise he‘d risk getting stranded. That was only 60-70 years ago. We’re at a similar stage with EVs except that the chargers are at least mapped online. I’m sure that eventually, we’ll be in a similar situation with EV charging availability as we are now with petrol, and it won’t take 50 years to get there.
So I think that the range you’ll get is going to be very dependent on how much you’re prepared to alter your driving ‘model‘ to address the limitation of battery-powered cars. And to acknowledge that there’s a relatively sparse distribution of public charge points compared to petrol stations.
When I was young, I remember my Dad still had BP and Esso road maps which showed you where the petrol stations were. As a salesman in the 1950s, covering S. London and Sussex, he’d never have embarked on a road journey without being sure of where he‘d be able to fill up, otherwise he‘d risk getting stranded. That was only 60-70 years ago. We’re at a similar stage with EVs except that the chargers are at least mapped online. I’m sure that eventually, we’ll be in a similar situation with EV charging availability as we are now with petrol, and it won’t take 50 years to get there.
And the ICE drivers will have to buy their petrol from the chemist's shop like they did in the 1890s.When doing the research on the e-208 it was striking how much divergence there was re range across the various journalist and owner reviews. In one video review, the guy did a trip from N.London to Brighton in the winter in the rain on a windy day with two bicycles on the roof and complained about the range. It read like he didn’t have a garage or home charger either. In other reviews, people had warm garages with chargers; no external equipment; used ECO and B; and moderated their motorway speed.
So I think that the range you’ll get is going to be very dependent on how much you’re prepared to alter your driving ‘model‘ to address the limitation of battery-powered cars. And to acknowledge that there’s a relatively sparse distribution of public charge points compared to petrol stations.
When I was young, I remember my Dad had BP and Esso road maps which showed you where the petrol stations were. As a salesman covering S. London and Sussex, he’d never have embarked on a road journey without being sure of where he‘d be able to fill up, otherwise he‘d risk getting stranded. That was only 60 years ago. We’re at a similar stage with EVs except that the chargers are at least mapped online. I’m sure that eventually, we’ll be in a similar situation with EV charging availability as we are now with petrol, and it won’t take 50 years to get there.
@Problemchild I do not disagree with you. Because I do not have the experience of using the e-208 the way you do.
My consumption data come from the Stellantis servers as reported by the car. I get that data with the flobz software running on my NAS. I'm not making that up. I believe @msej449 hits it right on the nail here. EV consumption wildly varies by use case. We are not used to that with ICE vehicles because their efficiency behavior is inverse to that of EVs and averages out consumption data.
To give an example: usually the ICE will be thirsty in town, but there you hardly cover 20km on a full tank. On the highway the ICE is more efficient. So the average of a high number with little weight in the average does not hit the average. And cabin heating just uses waste heat.
But with an EV you can get hit badly. The nice range numbers are actually for town driving or B-road driving in mild weather. The few km in town will not make up for the huge consumption at 120km/h on the highway. While without waste heat you are struggling to keep the cabin hot in a cold winter with a 7kW electric heater. I made highway trips at 120km/h at -2 degC outside, the little e-208 reported 32kWh/100 km and emptied the battery in a 120 km trip. It is not specific to the e-208, all EVs suffer from that, but the early versions of the e-208 like mine are particularly vulnerable to that.
@sean1001, I agree too. On the few occasions we took the little thing out on B-roads, it was big fun. And it did very well on range, doing 4.1 miles/kWh. But I must concede that our Merc C-Class C300h on air suspension is vastly superior on these roads in terms of comfort and it beats the e-208 dead on use cost in the winter. The cost of owning this thing, however, is way more expensive than the cost of ownership of the e-208. The difference is huge. There really is no comparison and I do not mean to compare in a face-off, they are very different cars for different use cases and we are luxury animals being able to have and keep both. If we need to chose to let one go, the Merc would go. We'd rent one if / when we need it.
And again, @Problemchild, consider we are using the e-208 a lot for city driving. Stretches of 2 to 8 km at once. Meaning in summer you need to cool down the hot cabin every time you start the drive. Or heat it in winter. The aircon eats most of the energy in the battery. Yesterday I did a 4 km trip with the window open, aircon off. It reported 6.1 miles / kWh consumption. This little thing is incredibly efficient in town. Our average using it the same way with aircon on is 3.35 miles / kWh. It's the aircon, people. Fix that and range wil increase. And Stellantis know that. It is one of the things Tesla is so good at.
I guess I'm trying to answer the question this thread is about. And I believe knowing how different an ICE is from an EV in real life use is very important and you need to consider that before going for any EV.
My consumption data come from the Stellantis servers as reported by the car. I get that data with the flobz software running on my NAS. I'm not making that up. I believe @msej449 hits it right on the nail here. EV consumption wildly varies by use case. We are not used to that with ICE vehicles because their efficiency behavior is inverse to that of EVs and averages out consumption data.
To give an example: usually the ICE will be thirsty in town, but there you hardly cover 20km on a full tank. On the highway the ICE is more efficient. So the average of a high number with little weight in the average does not hit the average. And cabin heating just uses waste heat.
But with an EV you can get hit badly. The nice range numbers are actually for town driving or B-road driving in mild weather. The few km in town will not make up for the huge consumption at 120km/h on the highway. While without waste heat you are struggling to keep the cabin hot in a cold winter with a 7kW electric heater. I made highway trips at 120km/h at -2 degC outside, the little e-208 reported 32kWh/100 km and emptied the battery in a 120 km trip. It is not specific to the e-208, all EVs suffer from that, but the early versions of the e-208 like mine are particularly vulnerable to that.
@sean1001, I agree too. On the few occasions we took the little thing out on B-roads, it was big fun. And it did very well on range, doing 4.1 miles/kWh. But I must concede that our Merc C-Class C300h on air suspension is vastly superior on these roads in terms of comfort and it beats the e-208 dead on use cost in the winter. The cost of owning this thing, however, is way more expensive than the cost of ownership of the e-208. The difference is huge. There really is no comparison and I do not mean to compare in a face-off, they are very different cars for different use cases and we are luxury animals being able to have and keep both. If we need to chose to let one go, the Merc would go. We'd rent one if / when we need it.
And again, @Problemchild, consider we are using the e-208 a lot for city driving. Stretches of 2 to 8 km at once. Meaning in summer you need to cool down the hot cabin every time you start the drive. Or heat it in winter. The aircon eats most of the energy in the battery. Yesterday I did a 4 km trip with the window open, aircon off. It reported 6.1 miles / kWh consumption. This little thing is incredibly efficient in town. Our average using it the same way with aircon on is 3.35 miles / kWh. It's the aircon, people. Fix that and range wil increase. And Stellantis know that. It is one of the things Tesla is so good at.
I guess I'm trying to answer the question this thread is about. And I believe knowing how different an ICE is from an EV in real life use is very important and you need to consider that before going for any EV.
Went from Northumberland to Doncaster earlier this week, temp was around 19 degrees, range left was 70miles doing about 60mph most of the way, no air con / heating on. Coming back range left was around 64miles. The same journey in the Winter was around 40 - 45miles left, heating left on to a minimum obviously lights on as well.
I've done a few motorway drives this year. 0 degrees at night gave me 3 miles/kWh (heating on, but driving gently at about 60), mild winter and summer motorway always gives me 4.1 m/kWh driving at the same speed.
When the OH occasionally uses it to go to work on a cold morning, she will use up to 2.5 m/kWh as she drives much quicker on the motorway and likes a sauna like temperature.
Using PhilTroubleshooter's figure of 27 kW for the 20-80% part of the battery range recommended for daily use, that gives 81 miles to 110 miles if a daily commute is worst case all motorway with careful driving, or as little as 67 miles if using up as much power as possible. Of course it's likely to be better than this with any non-motorway driving and in reasonable weather.
Going back to the thread question, I think that was an annoyance of the dealer and marketing as I wasn't aware of the 80% charging recommendation. Of course I don't want to risk knackering my battery. But not specifically the e208, I'm sure all dealers are equally crap. Really the government should step in and make dealers offer a 10 minute video presentation or something to all new EV drivers with key information like this, rather than expect them to trawl through the manual. Perhaps I made the mistake of looking like I knew what I was talking about?
Most EVs are being bought to replace an ICE car. I thought I'd done my homework but was still caught out. There is a lot to take in moving from ICE to EV. It isn't of consequence to me as I'm not commuting that far, but still it's annoying!
When the OH occasionally uses it to go to work on a cold morning, she will use up to 2.5 m/kWh as she drives much quicker on the motorway and likes a sauna like temperature.
Using PhilTroubleshooter's figure of 27 kW for the 20-80% part of the battery range recommended for daily use, that gives 81 miles to 110 miles if a daily commute is worst case all motorway with careful driving, or as little as 67 miles if using up as much power as possible. Of course it's likely to be better than this with any non-motorway driving and in reasonable weather.
Going back to the thread question, I think that was an annoyance of the dealer and marketing as I wasn't aware of the 80% charging recommendation. Of course I don't want to risk knackering my battery. But not specifically the e208, I'm sure all dealers are equally crap. Really the government should step in and make dealers offer a 10 minute video presentation or something to all new EV drivers with key information like this, rather than expect them to trawl through the manual. Perhaps I made the mistake of looking like I knew what I was talking about?
Most EVs are being bought to replace an ICE car. I thought I'd done my homework but was still caught out. There is a lot to take in moving from ICE to EV. It isn't of consequence to me as I'm not commuting that far, but still it's annoying!
Edit to the previous post. I've noticed that PhilTroubleshooter's estimate of 27kW for the maximum amount you can use to stay within 20-80% is almost exactly what you get on a 7kW home charger during the 4 hour Octopus Go window So maybe the battery is perfectly sized after all....
So maybe the battery is perfectly sized after all....1 - 20 of 37 Posts
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