Can Peugeot take on Tesla’s Model Y? New Electric E-3008 Test Driven

Despite some mixed messages from CEO Carlos Tavares, Stellantis is taking the electric vehicle market seriously, with the Peugeot brand leading the way. The French automaker has had reasonable success with the e-208 compact hatchback and e-2008 crossover, as well as some electric trucks. But surprisingly there was no regular SUV, given that format was the focus for most brands when they went electrified. With the e-3008, everything changes. Following the popularity of the fossil fuel 3008, which sold over 1 million cars by the end of 2021, the new electric update may challenge the current market leader in this segment, Tesla Model Y?

No 435 mile range yet

One factor that made the e-3008 look promising when it was released was that a version with a 98kWh battery was planned, offering around 435 miles of range. That’s still coming, but for now only the base 73kWh battery will be available. The Long Range version is due (at least in the UK) in November. Around the same time, a dual-motor option will also arrive, albeit only with the 73 kWh battery. That will make three powertrains – the base 210bhp front-wheel drive version I tested, a 230bhp FWD version with the larger battery and the 320bhp all-wheel drive option. There will only be two trims to choose from, however – Allure and GT – along with three option packages and a host of one-feature add-ons.

The reason for the absence of the larger battery is apparently because the gigafactory Stellantis is building to make the cells has been delayed and for now the e-3008 will use cases from BYD. That’s a shame, as the 73kWh front-wheel drive car is far less outstanding on paper than the Long Range. However, it is still representative of the new-generation Stellantis platform, which shifts the focus to BEVs first, while retaining some ICE options.

Unlike Peugeot’s (and Stellantis’) previous electric vehicles, the e-3008 is not based on a fossil fuel car platform adapted for electrification. Instead, this is our first taste of the STLA Medium, which was announced to be BEV-bound, but it would be more accurate to call it “BEV-first.” It’s a skateboard design, so the batteries are under the floor like most Pure-play BEVs, which is optimal for interior space. But the STLA Medium can also accommodate an internal combustion drivetrain. However, there is no transmission tunnel yet because the ICE hybrid vehicles will be front-wheel drive.

Peugeot e-3008: Exterior design and interior space

The e-3008 follows the current design trend towards “SUV coupes”, which can be hit or miss, and mostly miss. Peugeot claims this choice is for aesthetics and aerodynamics. Sensibly, however, the rear roof slope is not so far forward that it significantly affects passenger headroom or rear-seat luggage space. The rear doors are also regular shaped, so you won’t be in danger of hitting your head when you get in the back. Overall, Peugeot’s coupe design is quite attractive.

The interior in the GT trim I drove is also very rich, with luxurious black Nappa leather upholstery. There is ambient lighting around the dashboard. The front seating area is dominated by the tall center console, which incorporates some decent-sized buttons. Americans will be pleased to see that there are also two cup holders, although not quite large enough for large soda bottles. There’s standard wireless phone charging on UK models, although the pad for this is somewhat hidden up front under the dash.

There’s a panoramic sunroof, which is a £900 ($1,100) option with the Allure trim and appears to be part of the £1,200 ($1,500) Sensation Pack with the GT, which also includes a FOCAL premium sound system and filtration kit air. That glass roof adds a sense of space to the rear, but there’s already plenty of room. People up to six feet tall will have adequate head and knee room. GT spec also features a center seat armrest with cupholders and phone storage.

Boot space in the back is quite generous for a car of this size. With the rear seats up, you get 520 litres, which is more than a compact station wagon and much more than a hatchback. But the Tesla Model Y reduces that ability, and the Skoda Enyaq it also offers more. With the rear seats down, the capacity is 1,480 liters – but even here a Tesla Model Y goes much further and has a brake too. The e-3008 can tow at least up to 1,250 kg braked. The tow bar is a £500 ($600) option in the UK.

Peugeot e-3008: Controls and Infotainment

The most notable new infotainment feature with the e-3008 is the 21-inch curved widescreen that includes both the instrument panel and media. The e-3008’s controls will be mostly familiar to anyone who has driven an electric Peugeot before (and many other Stellantis EVs that use the same system), except that the lever for selecting drive, neutral and reverse has been moved to the board. The switch for switching between Eco, Normal and Sport modes remains on the center console. If you add on Advanced Grip Control, you also get Sand, Snow & Mud and Hill Ascent Control options.

There are still discrete buttons for the main climate control functions, such as window defogger, but other climate changes must be made using the media screen. When in ‘Home’ mode there are temperature controls on either side of the satnav display. To make this screen easier to operate, there’s a smaller touchscreen below that provides quick access to media screen views including full-size satnav, music controls, phone and Apple CarPlay / Android Auto screen mirroring.

The satnav will calculate the optimal charging stops for faster routing on long journeys. Peugeot will also integrate ChatGPT into the voice interface, although this was not available in the car I drove. Instead, I was shown it in another Peugeot vehicle. It wasn’t completely seamless, failing to tell me which Korean restaurant to choose in the area, but it was able to provide some very useful information about subatomic particles. There’s also an app with remote access, giving you features like route planning and remote charging.

Peugeot e-3008: Driving and autonomy

While the base e-3008 still has 210bhp, it also weighs a hefty 2,108kg, so acceleration isn’t particularly brutish, taking 8.8 seconds to hit 62mph. Peugeot has not revealed how fast the other two models will be. However, thanks to the skateboard design with the heavy batteries under the floor, the center of gravity is low and cornering is surprisingly flat for a tall SUV.

There’s no sense that this is a driver’s car, and it’s not as much fun as rear-wheel drive EVs like it Cupra Born the MG4, but it handled the very windy hills around Cannes where I test drove it. Being front-wheel drive, the e-3008 feels like a tap on the throttle will steer you in the right direction in case of trouble. Since this isn’t a huge SUV, it’s also at home on urban roads, though not quite in the same league as a compact car like the e-208. Of the three available engine powers – Eco, Normal and Sport – even Normal is adequate for overtaking, although Eco is a bit boring.

The 73kWh battery promises 327 miles WLTP in the car I was driving, and that doesn’t drop nearly as much with the all-wheel drive version. The larger long-range battery greatly extends that to 435 miles, which would be a game-changer for a car in this class. During my drive, which was quite intense at times with lots of uphills, but mostly in normal mode, I managed a decent 3.1 miles per kWh. That would equate to 226 miles of real-world range, but I’m sure with more frugal use of the right pedal a range of 250-260 miles would be possible. However, there is no standard heat pump in the UK – only in some Northern European countries known for their cold weather. In Britain, this is a £700 ($900) option. So without it, the range will drop a bit in the winter.

AC charging goes up to 11kW, although most homes only offer 7kW, giving a charge from zero to 100% in 10.5 hours. DC charging is 160kW, which is decent, if not quite ‘high-tech’. With a fast enough charger, you can top up from 20 to 80% in half an hour – just the right amount of time for a quick snack and a trip to the bathroom. Overall, this is a step up from the 200–250 mile range of previous Stellantis cars and puts the e-3008 on par with the Tesla Model Y Long Range as well as Korean competitors.

Can the Peugeot e-3008 repeat the success of its predecessor?

The Peugeot e-3008 is a pleasant and comfortable EV with plenty of useful space for both passengers and cargo. Performance, at least with the basic front-wheel-drive system, isn’t that great, but here again it’s perfectly adequate for a family car. The range is much more user-friendly than previous Stellantis cars.

The price, however, is a bit higher than I expected. The Allure version of the e-3008 is £45,850 ($58,000) and the GT is £49,650 ($63,000) and then there are the options at the top end. I had my fingers crossed that the Long Range e-3008 would arrive for less than £50,000, which would really put the cat among the pigeons. Peugeot has yet to release prices for the AWD or Long Range e-3008, but it’s likely that both will reach £55,000, which would still be competitive, but not such a gamechanger.

With continued pressure from Chinese EV brands, the e-3008 has its work cut out for it. Had the Long Range made it to initial launch for £50,000, the Tesla Model Y would have had some serious competition. However, while the Peugeot e-3008 is a very capable family EV, matching the sales popularity of its ICE 3008 predecessor will be a much bigger challenge.