Peugeot’s e-Lion plan has electrifying impact on NZ-relevant models.

WHOLLY electric drive is coming to a Peugeot New Zealand sales staple with a year while locally important smaller-sized siblings are to secure potent mains-replenished powertrains.

News about fully electric enhancement for the 308 (to be called e-308, naturellement), which having been selling here since last year with a 1.2-litre petrol engine has just branched into a plug-in hybrid drivetrain format, and changes to the electric editions of the 208 hatchback and its 2008 crossover sister ship forms part of a big announcement from head office, in Paris, France.

Alex Devillers, product manager for Peugeot New Zealand, says his operation is excited by the future outlined by a grand plan dubbed e-Lion (Peugeot's badge is a lion). 

He has also confirmed the electric 308 is planned for NZ sale from early next year, as is a next generation of the 3008 crossover, also in full battery-dedicated form and based on a brand-new platform, called STLA.

“E-308 is still planned for NZ early 2024 – more details will be available later in 2023. 

“Next generation of 3008 based on the new STLA platform … is also part of the NZ product plan for 2024. More information to be shared later this year after the official reveal.”

The e-Lion strategy will see all of Peugeot’s range powered 100 percent by electricity by 2030, with future product also increasingly affected by design influences and technology portrayed by Inception (below), an outrageous concept car revealed to the world in America just weeks ago, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

“Peugeot NZ is fully part of the global e-Lion strategy,” Devillers said today.

 “NZ is moving fast towards light electric vehicle adoption and therefore is very relevant to our local electrification strategy.”  

He reminded Peugeot NZ was already one of the market leaders in terms of fleet CO2 average, ranking at number three when pure electric brands are discounted.

 Peugeot’s international pledge for every product, by the end of this year, to be built with either a fully-electric or a plug-in hybrid option and, by 2025, for every model to have the option of a fully-electric version is being taken to heart here.

 “Almost all models in our line-up currently offer an electrified powertrain,” Devillers noted.  

“From 2024, every Peugeot model sold in NZ will have at least one LEV option, covering both passenger car and light commercial vehicle segments.”  

The battery powered 308 will avail in hatchback and estate stylings. 

 Peugeot NZ current offers the hatch only, as a petrol 308 GT, which costs up to $52,000, and in PHEV. The latter is a $74,990 (pre $5750 Clean Car rebate) proposal that offers around 65 kilometres full electric driving and otherwise relies on a 1.6-litre petrol engine.

After the electric 308 is in production Peugeot will start on an electric version of the new 408 crossover, followed by the all-new electric e-3008 and e-5008, also crossovers. The e-5008 is also in line for NZ, Devillers says.

 The e-3008 is the first Peugeot on the STLA underpinning, a Stellantis Group's electric car platform, which means it will be able to offer up to 700km range, as well as all-wheel-drive versions.

 Along the way, there will also be upgraded versions of the existing e-208 and e-2008 with bigger batteries and longer ranges. Peugeot has not been specific, yet, about what that will offer.

It addition to everything above, the make is also developing a new 48-volt mild-hybrid setup for its combustion engines.

The latter delivers with a new electrified six-speed dual-clutch gearbox that has its own 21kW electric motor and will avail across the existing 208, 308, 2008, 3008, 5008 and 408. In addition to provisioning an increase in torque, the system enables vehicles to run on electric power for up to 50 percent of urban journeys and, overall, delivers fuel and emissions savings of up to 15 percent.  

As part of its electric revolution, Peugeot is promising styling changes, with confirmation Inception, unveiled on January 6, gives a good idea of the direction it plans.

A slinky dual motor electric sports coupe five metres long and just 4.3m tall, the Inception is on the ‘large’ version of STLA and packs 500kW, promises 0-100kmh in less than three seconds and has an 800-volt architecture allowing it to add 150 kilometres of range to its 100kWh battery in just five minutes of charging. Peugeot claims 800 kilometres of range.

Inception is also important because it previews the next generation of the trademark and, with some, divisive ‘i-cockpit’ that delivers high-set instruments and a small, low-set steering wheel layout to current Peugeot passenger models sold here.

The concept’s Hypersquare control system (above) - basically Peugeot’s infotainment screen where you can control mundane things like navigation and media while also serving as the actual steering wheel for the whole vehicle – has been promised to feature in a car before 2030.  

Behaving “like a video game in real life”, Hypersquare can fold away entirely when the vehicle is configured to run in level-four autonomous mode, which will be possible with the new STLA Autodrive software integrated within this platform, to be replaced by a full-width display screen for passenger entertainment.

Before that hits the world’s streets, though, another element, steer-by-wire, where there’s no mechanical connection between the steering column and the wheels, is set to implement. This is already on new electrics from Toyota and Lexus.

Peugeot’s plan also calls for a dramatic extension of the service life of a car, from an average of 15 years for a current internal combustion-engined model to as much as 25 years for a new electric.

 The make envisages ability to rapidly swap in and out wear and tear items, such as upholstery and trim, and also intends to use more parts created from recycling. The make wants to cut what it calls its 'Global Warming Potential' by three quarters over the next two generations of cars.