Peugeot is pretty happy with the EV efforts – the iOn to be more precise – that they decided to expand it further. So they created an electric version of the Partner. That is great, but none of the facts and figures about this car are encouraging enough to make van drivers choose this over the normal diesel models they are used to.
OK let’s see what this electric Partner has to offer. It is powered by a tiny electric motor developing 49kW (67bhp) and torque of 200Nm. A small diesel engine does much better than that. And a diesel won’t be out of puff after 170km / 105 miles, which is the claimed range to this van. What’s more, filling up a diesel or petrol car takes a couple of minutes. Topping up the Partner’s batteries takes between 6 to 9 hours.
The only consolation, if you buy one of these, is that you don’t produce any CO2, which is not only good for polar bears, it’s also good for your wallet because you benefit substantial tax cut in Europe.
In terms of practical stuff, this car is like a normal Partner, which means it does things rather well. Available in two lengths (L1: 4.38m and L2: 4.63m), the Partner Electric offers the largest load volumes in the small van segment. The load volume of up to 3.3m3 for L1 with a load length of 1.80m and 3,7m3 for L2 with a load length of 2.05m, for a payload of up to 685kg, are the best in its category.
With its Multi-flex bench seat that can accommodate three people at the front, Partner Electric conserves the exclusive facility for modularity that has characterised Partner since its launch. The Multi-flex seat also allows the load volume to be increased to 400 litres. The load capacity is then lifted to 3.7m3 for L1 with a load length of 3m and to 4.1m3 for L2 with a load length of 3.25m.
It is still hard to make sense of this, or indeed any mainstream electric car. They need a few more years to get to a level where they can be used like normal cars.
