Mainstream European EV segment hots up with entry of Peugeot E-2008 into Singapore

Peugeot Singapore officially launched its first fully-electric passenger ran SUV today, in the form of the small electric sport utility vehicle (SUV), the e-2008.

At $78,888 without a Certificate of Entitlement (COE), or around $165k with COE, the e-2008 shows that the market for less expensive EVs here is certainly hotting up - we reveal the e-2008's key competitors, and one that's less expensive, toward the end of our story.

But the car is also priced very competitively even when compared to the regular 2008. Unlike the petrol 2008, which has a more basic Allure Premium trim (S$156,888 with COE) and upper-spec GT version ($164,888 with COE), the e-2008 comes in a singular GT trim variant.

CarBuyer reported on the car's announcement in August 2022 with a full rundown of the specs and trim levels here the key fact is that the car has a 130hp electric motor driving the front wheels, and that makes it eligible for a less expensive Category A COE.

It's also a small SUV, meaning it also consumes less energy and is eligible for a Vehicular Emissions Scheme (VES) rebate of $25,000, and the early EV adoption rebate (aka EEAI). That's the reason why it only costs around $10k more than the petrol 2008, which has a 129hp, 1.2-litre turbocharged engine.

Peugeot Singapore says that the first allocation of 30 cars was already sold out before the public launch. This indicates, at least, a good response to the car's pricing strategy. A second shipment of the e-2008 is coming to Singapore in October, so if you want to buy one, best register your interest early.

Both cars are identical in overall dimensions, and the e-2008's battery pack does not impinge on boot space, which is the same (434-litres) for both cars, although naturally the electric version is more than 200kg heavier at 1,548kg.

Peugeot E-2008 vs Peugeot 2008 1.2 - Performance

In charging and range terms, the e-2008 offers decent performance. Official LTA figures show that the car has a quoted energy efficiency of 14.5kWh/100km, which should be enough for a range of 310km from the 46kWh battery pack (50kWh gross capacity).

Charging performance is 11kW for standard AC charging - not always a given with mainstream EVs - and that delivers a full charge in only four hours. The car is capable of DC fast charging at up to 100kW, and plugged in at that power it will go from zero to 80 per cent in half an hour.

The launch of the e-2008 signifies another entry into the mainstream EV market for European brands. Up until now, the proliferation of EVs has been through Korean and Chinese brands, with European EVs largely being driven by luxury European brands, including Audi, BMW, Porsche, and Mercedes-Benz.

Which is cheaper to own - petrol or electric?

Peugeot E-2008 vs Peugeot 2008 1.2 - Running Costs

*September 2022 prices petrol RON 95 at $2.74/litre, electricity at $0.30/kwh
*Assuming 17,800km travelled per year
** Assuming 17,800km travelled a year, energy + Road Tax cost

Assuming energy/petrol prices remain stable, the e-2008 is slightly less expensive to run - $830 - per annum, than the petrol version, especially if you compare it to the GT spec petrol 2008. This bodes well for mainstream EVs, if they can all make a case for being similar in cost, but cheaper to run.

Random fact: The e-2008 isn't the brand's first EV to go on sale here - it actually first brought an EV to market 13 years ago, in the form of the Peugeot Ion. That car was only offered for fleet customers though, so it wasn't truly for sale to the general public.

But the e-2008 already has a close competitor: German mainstream brand Opel just announced the debut of its own small, electric SUV, the Mokka-e, earlier this month. Read about it in our detailed news story.

The Mokka-e runs on the same platform as the Peugeot, and has similar performance specs, with an almost identical power output, efficiency, and range, and is slightly cheaper than the Pegueot as well. But it's far from the only competitor too, as cars like the BYD Atto 3 and MG ZS EV also occupy the sub-$200k EV space here.

ALSO READ: Peugeot e-2008 EV arrives in Singapore

This article was first published in CarBuyer.