UPDATE: read our full Peugeot e-Expert electric van review to find out more about whether this Parkers Award-winning van is right for your business.
The Peugeot e-Expert electric van will cost from just £25,053, undercutting the similar Vauxhall Vivaro-e by nearly £2,700, thanks to a lower-cost entry trim-level, and matching the price of the equivalent Citroen e-Dispatch.
The Peugeot e-Expert comes in a choice of three sizes and three trim levels. And as with its sister PSA Group electric vans, the e-Expert impresses with a hefty payload rating, impressive driving range options and the ability to tow a trailer. Keep reading for all the details.
What are the Peugeot e-Expert’s key features?
As with the Vivaro-e and e-Dispatch, Peugeot has confirmed that its new mid-size electric van will come with impressive payload and driving range capability – though the maximum of one isn’t compatible with the other.
So while you will be able to get an e-Expert with a claimed range of up to 211 miles per charge (an increase over the previous 205-mile figure), if you want the option to carry the highest possible payload you’ll have to stick to the version with a smaller battery pack and 148-mile driving range.
Either way, that’s a greater driving range than Peugeot had initially speculated the e-Expert would deliver. And even the larger battery model can still carry 1,001kg.
PSA says that its research shows the smaller battery pack will give enough range to cover the daily driving requirements of 83% of its van customers. But it still expects 70% of buyers to choose the larger battery pack.
What’s the driving mode system?
As with the other PSA Group electric vans, the e-Expert is driven by a 100kW electric motor – equivalent to 136hp and 260Nm of torque.
This is combined with a single-speed transmission, so that like a van with an automatic gearbox, all you need to do is select Drive and press the accelerator.
However, you also get a choice of three driving modes and two braking modes. Citroen revealed the driving modes were called Eco, Normal and Sport, but Peugeot was the first to mention they specifically work by reducing the motor’s power output.
As such, Eco mode gives you 60kW (81.5hp), Normal is restricted to 80kW (109hp), and only Sport gives you the full 100kW (136hp). No prizes for guessing which mode was used when generating those impressive driving distance figures.
Peugeot’s also provided some preliminary performance figures – which were all achieved using Sport mode. Alongside the 80mph top speed, we now know the e-Expert and its relatives will go 0-62mph in 13.1 seconds.
There are two braking modes as well, which Peugeot calls Moderate and Emphasised. The first is the standard mode, the second is activated by pushing a B (for Brake) button near the gear selector, and increases the amount of resistance the electric motor applies when you lift off the accelerator.
The more resistance, the more the deceleration helps to recharge the batteries, extending the driving range.
What are the battery pack choices?
The Peugeot e-Expert is available with either a 50kWh battery pack or a 75kWh battery pack.
The smaller 50kWh battery offers the 148-mile claimed driving range, while the larger 75kWh battery pack achieves the headline 211-mile claim.
Expect this to vary a bit in the real world, but they have both been tested to the newer and more stringent WLTP standard, which is supposed to be more representative of real-world conditions.
PSA has also revealed that as a rule of thumb, for every extra 100kg of payload you’re carrying you should expect to see the driving range reduce by around 3.1 miles (5km).
Charging time varies, depending on both the battery size and the type of charger you’ve got access to, with Peugeot quoting between 11 hours 20 minutes and four hours 45 minutes if using a wallbox charger.
A powerful 100kW public rapid charger can deliver an 80% fill in 30 minutes for the smaller battery, 45 minutes for the larger battery. You can use a ‘robust’ three-pin plug to charge the van, too, but this will require quite some patience – even left overnight you can only expect the batteries to be 50% charged by the morning.
What’s the payload of the e-Expert electric van?
Peugeot has confirmed the e-Expert’s payload will range from 1,001kg to 1,226kg in the UK – that’s down slightly from the earlier outright quoted maximum of 1,275kg, presumably due to the fitted standard equipment and body size combinations offered here.
The maximum payload is only available on 50kW battery models with an optional upgrade.
The regular payload rating is 1,001kg – just over 1.0 tonne – and that’s the most you’ll be able to load into a van with the larger 75kWh battery pack. Regardless, this is still an impressive amount of carrying strength for a medium-sized electric van.
As with its sister vans, the e-Expert will also tow up to 1,000kg.
Does the Peugeot e-Expert come in different body sizes and types?
The electric powertrain will be offered in all the same variants as the regular petrol and diesel Expert models. So there are three body lengths – Compact, Standard and Long – one roof height and a choice of panel van, double cab and passenger carrying variants.
Compact models are limited to the 50kW battery pack, while Long models are only available with the 75kW battery pack; the Standard model is offered with both.
The battery packs fit under the load floor, so load volume and capacity is exactly the same for the e-Expert as it is for the regular Expert range. You can find out more about this on our dedicated Peugeot e-Expert dimensions page.
What about trim levels?
There are three trim levels: S, Professional and Asphalt.
All versions are fitted with DAB radio, Bluetooth, cruise control and speed limiter, remote locking with deadlocks, Peugeot Connect SOS & Assistance, and a full steel bulkhead. These S specification models are only offered in the Standard body size.
Upgrade to Professional, which is available in Compact, Standard and Long, and you also get a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus the Moduwork dual passenger bench with load-through bulkhead.
Top of the range Asphalt adds sat-nav, head-up display, lane departure warning, speed limit recognition, front and rear parking sensors, and a 180-degree parking camera. The e-Expert Asphalt also only comes in the Standard body length.
Anything else we should know?
There are few styling changes to help you spot the e-Expert, including a unique front grille. On the inside there are revised instruments and some new displays in the touchscreen infotainment system.
You also get an electronic handbrake and a compact drive selector for the transmission instead of a regular gearlever. This is called the e-Toggle. No, really.
As with other electric vans you will be able to pre-condition the cab while the van is plugged in – meaning you can pre-set the air-conditioning, making the van cool or warm before you set off, saving energy and extending the driving range. This can be controlled via a MyPeugeot smartphone app.
UK spec is still to be confirmed, but expect plenty of toys and lots of safety equipment – though some of this will no doubt remain optional.
The batteries are guaranteed for eight years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes sooner; a battery certification service is intended to give used buyer peace of mind about battery condition to help with resale values. The rest of the van will have the same three-year warranty as any other Expert.
How much does the e-Expert cost, and when does it go on sale?
Pricing starts at £25,053 for the entry-level 50kW S model, rising to £34,380 for the 75kW Asphalt – that’s excluding VAT but including the discount from the UK government Plug-in Van Grant (PIVG). Without the grant the ex-VAT prices are £32,965 and £42,380.
Great value compared with the likes of the Mercedes-Benz eVito and Volkswagen eTransporter, either way, especially since neither of these can even crack 100 miles of driving range.
Similarly, while more expensive than a diesel model to buy, the e-Expert should be cheaper to run. Servicing, for instance, is claimed to cost 30% less as there are fewer moving parts. We’ll see how that plays out in reality.
A smaller e-Partner and a larger e-Boxer are both also on the way in 2021.
Also read:
>> Our Peugeot e-Expert electric van review
>> The best electric vans you buy now
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