Item: Peugeot e-Traveller
Rating: 2
Author: Steve Huntingford

Citroen e-Spacetourer

Citroën Berlingo

Citroën Spacetourer

Citroën e-Berlingo

Ford Tourneo Courier

Ford Tourneo Custom

Mercedes EQV

Mercedes V-Class

New Ford Tourneo Connect

Peugeot Rifter

Peugeot Traveller

Peugeot e-Rifter

Peugeot e-Traveller

Renault Trafic Passenger

Toyota Proace Verso

Vauxhall Vivaro Life

Vauxhall Vivaro-e Life

Volkswagen Caddy MPV

Volkswagen Caravelle

Volkswagen Multivan

Introduction

Performance & drive

Interior

Passenger & boot space

Costs & verdict

The Peugeot e-Traveller is more expensive to buy than the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/citroen/e-spacetourer/mpv/review/n22872">Citroën e-Spacetourer</a> or <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/vauxhall/vivaro-e-life/mpv/review/n22307">Vauxhall Vivaro-e Life</a>. Both rivals have stripped-out&nbsp;entry-level versions that qualify for the Government’s <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/best-electric-cars-eligible-for-the-pound2500-government-grant/n23605">electric car grant</a> making them even cheaper, while no e-Traveller qualifies. The premium&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2020-mercedes-eqv-electric-mpv-revealed-price-specs-and-release-date/n18945">Mercedes EQV</a>&nbsp;is much more expensive than all three.

You can recharge the e-Traveller’s batteries pretty quickly. According to official figures, it’ll take around 30 minutes to go from a 10-80% charge if you can use a<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/electric-car-charging-guide/n18056"> 100kW charging station</a>. A domestic 7kW wallbox charger will complete a full charge from empty in 7.5 hours.

There are two trim levels available. Entry-level Active cars get manual air-con, cruise control, a digital radio with a 7.0in infotainment system, 17in alloy wheels and rear parking sensors. The Allure trim – which you have to have if you want the longer L model – adds Xenon headlights plus front parking sensors and a reversing camera, leather trim, electrically heated and adjustable front seats, a better stereo, and keyless entry and start.

Safety kit includes automatic emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance and driver drowsiness monitoring (in the Driver Assist pack). Blind-spot warning is standard on Allure trim to help spot traffic along your flanks.

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/peugeot">Peugeot</a> didn’t do particularly&nbsp;well as a brand in our latest 2021 <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2021-what-car-reliability-survey-brands/n23418">What Car? Reliability Survey</a>, coming in joint 22nd place with Mercedes and Vauxhall. Citroën did much better, coming 11th out of the 30 manufacturers included.

Every Peugeot gets a three-year warranty, and the battery pack is covered under a separate eight-year or 100,000 mile warranty.

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter <a href="http://pages.haymarket.com/whatcar/wcar-form.html">here</a>

Your Peugeot e-Traveller engine choice is simple because there's only one option: an electric motor borrowed from the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/peugeot/e208/hatchback/review/n20228">Peugeot e-208</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/peugeot/e-2008/estate/review/n20552">Peugeot e-2008</a>. There are three&nbsp;drive modes – Eco, Normal&nbsp;and Power – which vary the available power considerably, up to a maximum 134bhp.

The Power&nbsp;mode gives you the full whack, with the potential for 0-62mph in a not bad (for a massive passenger van) 10.8sec. If you stick the e-Traveller&nbsp;in Eco when you’re running low on juice, you’ll only have 80bhp to play with and a vehicle that will struggle to top 65mph on a level motorway.

Speaking of range, the e-Traveller has an official figure of 148 miles, and that's&nbsp;fairly typical for this size of van-based <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/best-mpvs-and-people-carriers-2022/n17001">MPV</a>. You can expect to get significantly less&nbsp;(potentially under 100 miles in our hands) if you’re travelling on a motorway while loaded up with people and luggage. The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/eqv/mpv/review/n22795">Mercedes EQV</a>&nbsp;has a much longer potential range north of 200 miles.

You can improve the range by using the gearbox’s ‘B’ mode for increased regenerative braking. This puts energy back into the battery while slowing the vehicle down, lowering your overall consumption. Even without it engaged, the brakes are pleasantly progressive as they switch between regeneration and the vehicle’s mechanical brakes.&nbsp;

Ride quality – which is usually of greater importance than performance&nbsp;in a people hauler – is generally fine. Compared with a non-electric <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/proace-verso/estate/review/n17331">Toyota Proace Verso</a> (which has the same platform), the e-Traveller isn’t as settled over scruffy road surfaces.

That may change with passengers on board, but it will still end up feeling quite bouncy over undulations at speed. Plus there’s a significant ‘thwack’ sound that reverberates through the interior when you hit a big pothole at town speeds. Fortunately, there’s no real motor whine of note while you’re driving the e-Traveller, and wind and road noise are well contained.&nbsp;

On the road, you won’t be mistaking the e-Traveller for a smaller MPV like the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/touran/mpv/review/n17348">Volkswagen Touran</a>, but it is at least just as easy to drive. The steering is pretty accurate, although it does involve a lot of arm twirling when parking. At higher speeds, the body leans a bit in tighter bends, but you get used to that after a while, and generally appreciate the e-Traveller’s decent grip levels that allow you to maintain your pace down a country road.

Praise be to the Peugeot e-Traveller&nbsp;because you can now drive your extended family through London without&nbsp;burning fossil fuels or having to resort to one of those expensive horse-drawn carriages.

Yes, you read that right: this very large eight-seat (or seven, if configured as such) van-based MPV is actually an electric vehicle. The e-Traveller is&nbsp;not only quiet enough to avoid startling&nbsp;the horses trotting down The Mall, but also avoids the congestion charge.

Instead of using a diesel engine (as is traditional with <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/van-based-mpv">van-based MPVs</a>), you get an electric motor with up to 134bhp. The motor gets its juice from a 50kWh battery pack that you can&nbsp;charge&nbsp;at a rate of up 100kW&nbsp;if you can find a charger capable of that speed.

The e-Traveller's body and electric tech are&nbsp;essentially the same as you’ll find in a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/citroen/e-spacetourer/mpv/review/n22872">Citroën e-Spacetourer</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/vauxhall/vivaro-e-life/mpv/review/n22307">Vauxhall Vivaro-e Life</a>.&nbsp;If you’re wondering where this <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/peugeot">Peugeot</a> fits into that hierarchy, just know that both those rivals have stripped-out and rather basic entry-level versions to keep the price low, while the e-Traveller is 'the posh one', aiming to take on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/eqv/mpv/review/n22795">Mercedes EQV</a>.

So does the Peugeot e-Traveller successfully fit into the niche&nbsp;but expanding sector of zero-tailpipe emissions people carriers, and how does it compare with the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/best-mpvs-and-people-carriers-2021/n17001">best MPV</a>&nbsp;rivals?

Read on through this comprehensive review to find out whether it's good to drive, how comfortable all those passengers will be, whether the running costs are manageable, which trims and engines we rate and much more.

When you're ready to buy a new vehicle of any make and model, don't forget that you can track down the best prices using our free&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals">What Car? New Car Buying service</a>. It has lots of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/peugeot/traveller/mpv/deals">Peugeot e-Traveller deals</a>.

One of the benefits of going for the Peugeot e-Traveller over regular <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/best-mpvs-and-people-carriers-2022/n17001">MPVs</a> and seven-seat SUVs is that you tower over other vehicles. That’s thanks to its commanding driving position, even in the seat’s lowest setting (you get height adjustment as standard). In typical van fashion, you sit above the pedals, which could take some getting used to if you’re coming from a car or SUV.

The boxy shape of the e-Traveller makes it easy to judge the width, but you can't see the stubby nose from the driving seat, although if you go for the top-end Allure version, you get&nbsp;front parking sensors, which&nbsp;you can’t add to the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/citroen/e-spacetourer/mpv/review/n22872">Citroën e-Spacetourer</a> or <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/vauxhall/vivaro-e-life/mpv/review/n22307">Vauxhall Vivaro-e Life</a>.

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/citroen">Citroën</a> gives you rear parking sensors as standard to help when reversing in tight spaces, but a rear camera is only available as part of an expensive visibility pack on Active, or standard on Allure trim.

The e-Traveller doesn’t sound like a van, but it can’t hide its commercial vehicle heritage inside. Even the poshest Allure trim, with its ‘brushed aluminium’ inlays and leather seats, can’t&nbsp;hide the acres of hard plastic. At least rear air-con is standard, and the overhead console comes with plenty of air vents for good ventilation. A <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/eqv/mpv/review/n22795">Mercedes EQV</a> is quite a lot more premium inside, though.

All versions of the e-Traveller get a 7.0in touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth, a DAB radio, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-apple-carplay/n1193">Apple CarPlay</a> and<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-android-auto/n1194"> Android Auto</a> smartphone mirroring, and a USB socket. Sat-nav is an option on Active and standard on Allure. It’s a fairly easy system to navigate but some of the icons are small and it can be a bit sluggish to respond to commands. Allure models have a grander nine-speaker sound system that sounds plenty good enough, although it’s probably helped by the lack of engine noise getting in the way.

Peugeot has its strongest model line-up for some years, with some of its cars now rated by our testers as being among the very best available.

Highlights focus around the firm’s newest SUVs, the 3008 and 5008. The 5008 was named Large SUV of the Year at the 2018 What Car? Awards, thanks to its appealing blend of space, interior quality and low running costs.

That bodes well for future launches, too, because many of the learnings from these cars will be passed on as new versions of existing cars are launched – something that could take many years, because the Peugeot range is so big, ranging from an entry-level supermini with the 108 to an executive saloon with the 508, up into the SUV range and also vans.

Buyers should evaluate some of the lower-rated cars in the range more carefully, though. Some are now quite old, and are subsequently left behind in terms of quality when compared with the opposition, making them below-average buys, in our estimation.

PEUGEOT

TRAVELLER

Aimed at private buyers, you get a 7.0in touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, as well as a DAB radio, auto lights and wipers, dual-zone climate control and rear parking sensors. Makes the most financial sense.

Active

Electric van-based MPV&nbsp;can carry plenty of people&nbsp;but has a limited range and is more expensive than direct rivals.

You can have your Peugeot e-Traveller in either Standard or (with top-end Allure trim) Long, and you can fit eight people inside comfortably, with plenty of head, leg and shoulder room to go around. The difference is, you’ll have an easier time hauling around the luggage of those eight people in the Long version because it has a bigger boot.

The benefit of opting for such a large vehicle is that you can fit six actual people across the second and third rows.

The seats&nbsp;can be reclined for additional comfort and have Isofix mounts so you can fit child seats. They also slide so you can trade boot space for leg space if required, and all rows get a 12v socket for charging various devices.

A seven seat configuration with two ‘captain’s chairs’ for the second row is available for additional cost. They can be spun round if you fancy ignoring the driver and having a conversation with the people in the third row.

The e-Traveller in Allure trim has a panoramic sunroof as standard, and it lets lots of light into the rear without making much difference to the very generous headroom available.

Even with all three rows in place, there’s enough space in the e-Traveller’s boot to handle lots of holiday luggage. You have to leave a good&nbsp;space behind the car when you park, though, because the long tailgate is hinged from the top and needs plenty of room to swing open. Top-spec Allure helps with this by including a&nbsp;rear glass window that can be opened separately.

If you have to drive in a city where an EV is the only option financially and you need to carry lots of people, the Peugeot e-Traveller works rather nicely. However, the Citroën and Vauxhall equivalents significantly undercut it on price, and its limited range outside the urban environment seriously hampers its usability.

Need to load up several people and all of their luggage for a big road trip? A van-based MPV could be the answer to your prayers. Although these vehicles are heavily based on commercial vehicles, most will include higher quality materials than their working siblings, and creature comforts designed to keep everyone comfy. Most are spacious, too, with a boot large enough to accommodate multiple large suitcases – even if every seat is also filled.

Van-based MPV

<h2>What we're looking for </h2><ul><li>Long range and ultra-fast charging capability</li> <li>Luxurious and comfortable interior</li> <li>Smooth ride and capable handling</li> <li>Lots of high-tech driver aids</li> <li>Strong performance and great refinement</li></ul>

Large Electric

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Plenty of space for all the family and their paraphernalia</li> <li>Comfortable ride for everyone inside</li> <li>Seats with plenty of adjustment and versatility of layout</li> <li>Engine that can cope with a full load of people and luggage</li> <li>Excellent efficiency to avoid big fuel bills</li></ul>

Practicality is king in the MPV market, which has taken a hit as buyers have turned towards trendier SUVs. There are still plenty of decent offerings to suit most budgets, though, with Citroën fielding a particularly strong line-up. The French manufacturer’s Berlingo offers bags of space for not much money and you can easily haggle off thousands of extra pounds in discounts, too.

Citroën also scores with the larger Grand C4 Spacetourer, which offers seven seats, lots of oddment space and appealing running costs for something so large. A similarly priced and even better option is the Volkswagen Touran. Meanwhile, if you prefer a premium badge, there's always the BMW 2 Series Active and Gran Tourers or Mercedes B-Class and V-Class.

But for something sizeable that's still decent to drive, we’d recommend you check out the Ford Galaxy, which can offer three rows of seats and decent luggage space at the same time. It’s not that much pricier than the smaller S-Max.

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Sufficient range between charges to fit in with most people’s lifestyles – and in the real world, not on some far-fetched official test </li> <li>Quick charging times and compatibility with the most ubiquitous types of public charging points </li> <li>Priced to be within the grasp of more than just the privileged few </li> <li>As with any car, ride comfort, practicality and ownership costs can’t be ignored</li></ul>

We define an electric car as one that runs purely on battery power and has no tailpipe to puff out nasty chemicals.

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/renault/zoe/hatchback/review/n152">Renault Zoe</a> is one of the most affordable options and has a surprisingly long range of between 120 and 180 miles (depending on the weather and the road type). However, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/nissan/leaf/hatchback/review/n17338">Nissan Leaf</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/id3/hatchback/review/n21832">Volkswagen ID.3</a> are more practical and more accomplished to drive, even if the latter doesn't have a particularly long range between charges.

At the other end of the scale, Tesla’s ground-up electric car&nbsp;philosophy – and the American brand’s network of super-fast chargers – makes the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/tesla/model-s/hatchback/review/n150">Model S</a> a tempting choice. It has a classy interior, loads of tech and a long enough real-world range to make inter-city travel a real possibility.

Electric

Peugeot e-Traveller review

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Praise be to the Peugeot e-Traveller because you can now drive your extended family through London without burning fossil fuels or having to resort to one of those expensive horse-drawn carriages.,Yes, you read that right: this very large eight-seat (or seven, if configured as such) van-based MPV is actually an electric vehicle. The e-Traveller is not only quiet enough to avoid startling the horses trotting down The Mall, but also avoids the congestion charge.,Instead of using a diesel engine (as is traditional with van-based MPVs), you get an electric motor with up to 134bhp. The motor gets its juice from a 50kWh battery pack that you can charge at a rate of up 100kW if you can find a charger capable of that speed.The e-Traveller's body and electric tech are essentially the same as you’ll find in a Citroën e-Spacetourer and Vauxhall Vivaro-e Life. If you’re wondering where this Peugeot fits into that hierarchy, just know that both those rivals have stripped-out and rather basic entry-level versions to keep the price low, while the e-Traveller is 'the posh one', aiming to take on the Mercedes EQV.,So does the Peugeot e-Traveller successfully fit into the niche but expanding sector of zero-tailpipe emissions people carriers, and how does it compare with the best MPV rivals?,Read on through this comprehensive review to find out whether it's good to drive, how comfortable all those passengers will be, whether the running costs are manageable, which trims and engines we rate and much more.When you're ready to buy a new vehicle of any make and model, don't forget that you can track down the best prices using our free What Car? New Car Buying service. It has lots of Peugeot e-Traveller deals.

Read the definitive Peugeot e-Traveller 2023 review from the expert What Car? team. Check specs, prices, performance and compare with similar cars.

Peugeot e-Traveller review

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