Peugeot E-208 rental car review

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On a recent trip to Sardinia with my wife, I rented a Peugeot E-208. I always try to test new EVs while traveling, and islands like Sardinia seem like a perfect place for EVs. While I was there, I saw many more electric vehicles than on a trip to Naples earlier this year. For a vacation, the clean, quiet operation of an electric vehicle is more relaxing and allows you to better enjoy your surroundings. Plus, since gas costs over 2 euros per liter (~$9 per gallon), it definitely saved us some money.

We picked up at Olbia airport and rented from the local company Drivalia. This allows us to rent an electric vehicle at a reasonable price. However, the car had some wear and tear and was not spotlessly clean. The inside of the windshield had what appeared to be spray tan, making it difficult to see when the sun was low or when the lights of oncoming traffic were shining. However, after a few napkins, the problem was solved.

The E-208 comes with a 100 kW or 115 kW motor, although the smaller motor comes with a smaller battery and the performance difference is minimal. The smallest battery car we drove has a WLTP range of 363 km, while the largest battery offers 433 km. In Italy, the price of the E-208 is €34,480, VAT included. This is a considerable premium compared to the 208 gasoline, whose starting price is 18,100 euros with VAT. Above the regular E-208 is the E-208 GTi, which starts at €43,650. This car has a 207 kW engine, which allows it to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.5 s.

With a length of 4,055 mm, the car sits between the current BYD Seagull and the next generation of the Seagull. The door openings were a little small, requiring me to bend down to get in, but I got in once inside. The seats were quite comfortable and had manual adjustments.

Cargo space was a little limited, but we made do with using the back seat. It is noteworthy that Peugeot’s marketing materials show different measurements for cargo space. This includes standard liquid metering from the floor to the top of the seatbacks, as well as Tesla-centered liquid metering to the roof (which would also include the volume under the floor, if the E-208 had it). I basically stopped reporting on charging volume measurements as Tesla started a trend of companies coming up with their own measurement standards. Numbers become useless. Peugeot showing different measurements helps make apples-to-apples comparisons, and I appreciate that.

Being a rental car, our car had the basic powertrain. While it wasn’t going to win any drag races, the power seemed perfectly adequate for most drivers, and the torque from the electric motor made it feel a little more powerful at low speeds than a comparable ICE vehicle.

The E-208 was clearly an adapted ICE vehicle. There is no storage space in the front or under the floor (where the muffler would go). Additionally, it doesn’t have the types of aerodynamic optimizations seen in many other electric vehicles. That made it much less efficient on highways as speeds increased compared to slower secondary roads.

Speaking of autonomy, about 300 km was enough for us. The rental desk warned us that charging could be a challenge. The place we stayed in Alghero was a couple blocks from a level 2 charger, which had several stalls. We’d put the car on the charger after our day’s adventures and then return with adequate range after dinner. Overall, the experience was easy. We never needed a Level 3 charger, although we didn’t see one on our trip either.

However, when we went to Olbia to spend the night before our return flight, it was a little more challenging. We chose a hotel that offered charging, but an ICE SUV had already claimed the spot. We then headed to three public chargers that were out of service and one that was blocked by an ICE car. We then ended up at a charger a little over a mile from our hotel that had a broken touch screen, but luckily accepted the RFID card and started charging. Needless to say, public charge left a lot to be desired. Someone used to China’s prolific public charging or Tesla’s well-maintained supercharger network would be disappointed.

However, Enel, which powers the chargers, has clearly put some effort into renewables. On the north side of the island we saw many solar panels and wind turbines. In a place like Sardinia, the combination of wind and sun makes it an obvious choice.

Returning to the car, the curb weight of 1,530 kg (3,373 lb) is not light for an ICE vehicle of this size, but it is lighter than many EVs. However, it is significantly heavier than the upcoming, larger Seagull, which will start at 1,180kg, according to regulatory filings. With much of that weight down, the E-208 handles well, in the style of a front-drive French hatchback. I can see how it would be a good base for the GTi hot hatch.

The combination of good handling, small size, and poor on-road efficiency encouraged me to take winding roads for most of the trip. I practiced my driving lines and late apexes at a moderate speed. The kind of thing you’d do when racing a car with momentum, like a Miata, but slower and with more focus on maintaining momentum for efficiency. It was fun, but it didn’t terrify my wife in the passenger seat. I can see a future for high handling, low power boost EV cars in the future. I hope we see more options in that regard.

Hard plastic proliferated inside. It looked like what you would expect from the €18,100 ICE car this vehicle is based on. I found the technology to be a step down compared to other cars I’ve driven recently. I couldn’t connect my phone so I relied on my wife to hold it to navigate.

In general, a BYD Seagull offers more technology and interior quality for less than 20,000 euros in Europe. However, starting at €34,480, VAT included, the price of the E-208 is higher than cars like the excellent XPENG L03, starting at €34,990 in Italy. That larger vehicle starts with more power, more range, more onboard technology and a much better interior than even the E-208 GT Exclusive model for €42,430. For the price of that E-208, you are looking at a RWD Long Range Ultra L03, with 480 km of autonomy and XPENG’s excellent VLA 2.0 intelligent driving system, as I recently tested in Amsterdam.

In the context of the US market, a price of ~29,000 euros before VAT ($32,660 US) would position it against cars like the Chevy Bolt. Compared to that car, the Peugeot would make a stronger argument. However, as EV options become more prolific in Europe, the E-208 is starting to make less sense on paper.

Regardless of all the numbers, I still enjoyed driving the E-208. He had character. When I look at the B05 from Stellantis partner LeapMotor, it is clearly a better car. Starting at €23,900, it’s also much better value. Despite being good vehicles, I’ve always thought that LeapMotor cars can seem a little bland and generic. Perfectly acceptable, I just feel like they could use a little more flavor. They seem like the perfect starting point for a name change and tune-up.

However, if you combined the EV expertise and production efficiency of the B05 with the styling and tuning of the E-208, it would be one hell of a car. Chinese technology combined with French flavor. Peugeot could not meet the demand. So while the current E-208 has its shortcomings, if they are open to making the most of collaboration, the next-generation E-208 could be a winner for customers. And not just for those at the rental desk.