The new Peugeot e-308 is the French firm’s crucial new entry into the electric family hatch segment, going up against the Volkswagen ID 3 with the choice of two body styles and more than 248 miles of range.
Revealed today in hatchback and estate forms – the latter of which Peugeot says is the first EV estate from a European manufacturer – the e-308 rides on the familiar Stellantis group EMP2 architecture, but introduces a new electric powertrain not yet used on any other model in the multi-brand manufacturer’s portfolio.
A front-mounted motor endows the hatchback with 156bhp, some 22bhp more than the technically similar Peugeot e-208 supermini and e-2008 crossover, and 192lb ft. The firm hasn’t yet revealed performance details, but a 0-62mph time of around 8.0sec is expected.
Power is supplied by a 51kWh (net) battery, which is only slightly larger than that used by smaller Stellantis EVs, but which uses a new chemical composition comprising 80% nickel, 10% manganese and 10% cobalt for improved efficiency; bosses previously told Autocar it anticipates the e-308 will run at around 5mi/kWh.
Due on sale next year, the e-308 joins pure-combustion petrol and diesel options and a pair of plug-in hybrids in the 308 line-up. The closely related Vauxhall Astra will also receive a pure-electric variant next year.