Peugeot to release electric models in Australia in 2023: LCV first, e-208, e-2008 e-308 all possible

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Peugeot has confirmed that it will release a fully-electric van in Australia in 2023, but when will its first fully-electric passenger car or SUV be launched locally?

It’s a live question as the number of new electric models that are officially “under evaluation” by Peugeot Australia continues to climb, and as the brand commits to full electrification in Europe by 2030, and to having an electrified choice in each of the Australian segments in which it competes by the end of 2023.

In May 2021, Peugeot Australia announced that the French brand’s then newly-announced e-208 electric hatch and e-2008 electric small SUV were both under study for Australian release.

Possible release of e-208 and e-2008 pushed into 2023

At the time, Peugeot indicated that it hoped to release at least one of the pair by the end of 2022, but economic headways that have become more severe in the interim period have caused this date to be pushed back – but the plans remain steadfast.

Speaking with Chasing Cars, Peugeot Australia public relations manager Eva Mitchell acknowledged that the potential release of the e-208 and e-2008 had now been pushed back into 2023.

“Due to the unprecedented environment that the global automotive industry is currently facing, there has been an unavoidable delay until 2023 in the local arrival of Peugeot Australia’s first battery electric vehicles,” said Mitchell.

“Our commitment to introduce electric vehicle offerings to the Australian market remains unaltered, with plans being finalised across electric passenger, SUV and light commercial (LCV) product offerings.”

“In relation to e-208 and e-2008…these are under evaluation for the local market and ties into the above statement.”

The e-208 is a Yaris-sized vehicle that uses a 45kWh battery to provide 350km range (WLTP) while producing 100kW/260Nm from its front motor. The e-2008 small SUV uses the same components but its larger size means range decreases by six percent to 330km. Both offer 101kW DC charging and promise 26min charge times to 80 percent.

Larger e-308 joins list of under-evaluation EVs for Australia

The confirmation that the two small EVs remain on the table for Australian release came as Peugeot Australia committed its new e-308 electric small car to “under evaluation” status immediately after its announcement for the European market last week. New-generation petrol and hybrid 308 models launch locally soon.

Kate Gillis, Peugeot Australia managing director, said of that car that “the global reveal of a full battery electric 308 is exciting and we can confirm that the e-308 is under evaluation for the Australian market as part of our electrification journey.”

Available in hatchback and station wagon body styles, the e-308 is larger than the e-208 and e-2008. It uses a bigger 51kWh battery, promising 400km of range while producing 115kW/260Nm from its front motor. DC charging speeds are capped at 100kW.

Dealer preparedness key to Peugeot Australia’s EV push

Speaking with Chasing Cars, local Peugeot boss Kate Gillis said that the level of customer demand and the suitability of a car were important factors in making the decision to try and import an EV to Australia – but that warranty, homologation and dealer preparedness were complex issues behind the scenes.

The brand spends considerable time evaluating the car – it’s not the work of the moment, in other words.

Peugeot looks at suitability “even down to the spec,” Gillis said. “Is it warranted? Is it appropriate for our market? We go through quite a bit of due diligence. Obviously, there is homologation [to Australian Design Rules] that goes into that, as well.”

“We probably have an indication from the factory at least 12 months prior to launching within our market,” Gillis said – so, decisions to launch a vehicle by the end of 2023 would be locked in around now.

“Of course, our dealers are so important to us. … Dealer readiness is super-important. We need to take [Peugeot dealers] along on that journey, down to training and capability of our dealer network. It’s really important that we get that right,” Gillis said.