Peugeot e-208 long term test

The car Peugeot e-208 GT 51kWh Run by James Tute, Content Editor

Why it's here To see if Peugeot’s small electric car is agile enough for city driving while remaining practical for longer trips to the Shires

Needs to Be well-suited to rush-hour traffic and comfy on motorway drives, with enough range for hassle-free long journeys

Mileage 5684 List price £32,900 Target Price £32,900 Price as tested £34,760 Official range 248 miles Test range 194 miles

16 March 2025 – Is the e-208 good as a getaway driver?

If I’d said “frunk” to you a few years ago you’d have been baffled – or deeply offended.

Now, though, the word has made it into dictionaries as a description for the little bit of boot space you get under the bonnet of some electric cars.

So when I took delivery of my Peugeot e-208 I was curious to peer under the bonnet to see if it was a member of the frunk-y bunch.

Well, no. Perhaps unsurprisingly given its neat little nose, there’s no storage under the e-208’s bonnet – just the 311-litre boot at the back. And that’s been fine. On a week-long staycation with my partner, we filled the boot with luggage and threw coats and other bits on the back seats.

The only issue was what to do with the bulky charging cable carrier, which I haven’t needed much (because I use public EV chargers) but is good to have with me. The solution: slide it into the slot behind the driver’s seat.

I reckon the e-208 could also manage a week away for three adults if we can restrain ourselves from packing a dozen outfits “just in case”. But there’s no way I’ll be taking any long trips with three other grown-ups, however light we manage to pack.

You see, the reason the charging cable bag fits so snugly behind my seat is that because I’m inconveniently tall (6ft 3in) I’ve slid it right back to find a comfy position. So unless a toddler wants to sit in the middle rear seat, the e-208 is effectively a three-seater. And that suits me but is worth bearing in mind if you’re tall and plan trips with friends.

Speaking of capacity… I now know how the e-208 reacts when the battery charge is very low.

Unfortunately, at the end of a long journey recently, I crawled into my hotel car park with the dashboard showing 4% charge. The predicted range indicator had just dropped from “5mi” to “---mi”. The following morning the car was even more gloomy, showing “2%”, “---mi”, two tortoise symbols and the advice: “Battery level critical: Performance reduced”.

I did – thankfully – make it to the nearest charger, five miles away, but it was a more emotionally charged journey than I'd expected. Who said running an electric car can’t be exciting?

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