French carmaker Peugeot has announced details of a 100 percent
electric, zero emission car.
In a statement Monday, Peugeot said that the new vehicle would be released in
late summer 2019 and was the first in a series of all electric models, with the
firm readying itself to electrify its whole range by the year 2023. Petrol and
diesel versions of the “208” model will also be available.
Peugeot said that the e-208 was powered by a 100-kilowatt electric motor and
50-kilowatt hour battery, and had a range of up to 211 miles.
The vehicle can be charged using three methods. A domestic plug can provide a
complete charge in 20 hours or more, while a dedicated charging point can
charge the vehicle in around eight hours. Public terminals that offer rapid
charging can also be used.
Peugeot U.K.’s Managing Director, David Peel, said the business was excited to
be “building towards our goal of a full electric range by 2023” and
described the e-208 as “a great step in cementing Peugeot’s foothold in
the ever-growing EV market.”
In 2017, global sales of electric cars hit 1.1
million, an increase of 54 percent, according to the International Energy
Agency. The “global stock of electric cars” exceeded 3 million that
year, with 40 percent of the planet’s electric cars on Chinese roads.
Peugeot is the latest major car company to make a move in the electric vehicle
sector. In 2018, for instance, Mercedes launched its first all-electric SUV,
the Mercedes-Benz EQC, while Volvo Cars bought a stake in FreeWire
Technologies, a California-based electric car charging business, through its
Volvo Cars Tech Fund.
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