√Electric Peugeot e-208 all but confirmed for Australia

The French car maker’s local division has given its strongest indication yet that Australia will get the Peugeot e-208 electric city car – four years after Europe.

Peugeot Australia has given the clearest indication yet that its electric city car – the Peugeot e-208 – is headed to local showrooms in the not-too-distant future.

Speaking to Drive at the local launch of the 308 plug-in hybrid hatchback, Peugeot Australia managing director, Kate Gillis said, “we’re in the final, final stages of evaluating 208. What is likely is that the 208 will be electric. It won’t be petrol.”

The Peugeot e-208 was recently updated in Europe, and now claims a driving range of around 400km on the WLTP test cycle, up from the previous model’s 362km.

That’s down to a larger and more efficient 51kWh battery pack. The e-208’s electric motor has been uprated as well, now 15kW more powerful at 115kW and 260Nm.

The e-208 is one of Europe’s most popular electric vehicles and is the number-one selling electric car in its native France where it’s priced from €26,800 ($AU43,000) after government rebates are applied.

Closer to home, the e-208 is already available in New Zealand, where it’s priced from $NZ59,990 ($AU56,000) dropping to $NZ51,365 ($AU48,000) after government rebates.

Peugeot Australia’s public relations manager Chloe Fraser suggested confirmation for the e-208 was imminent, telling Drive to “stay tuned over the next month”.

Ms Gillis said her negotiations with headquarters in France were nearing the end, stating that “I’m about nine and three-quarters [there]”.

Peugeot Australia is about to embark on an onslaught of electric vehicles, with the e-Partner city delivery van set to hit local dealerships in the coming months, followed by the e-2008 small SUV in the second half of the year.

A plug-in hybrid variant of the stylish Peugeot 508 Sportwagon is also heading to Australia, due locally before the end of June – joining plug-in hybrid versions of the 308 hatch, 508 liftback and 3008 SUV.

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