Peugeot E-Traveller review

6

Eight-seat van-based electric MPV gains styling tweaks and improved range

Find Peugeot E-Traveller deals
Other Services
Sell your car
84% get more money with

The old Peugeot E-Traveller was a credible electric MPV that showed real signs of promise when it was launched five years ago. 

At a time when you couldn’t buy an electric seven-seater, it catered to what would likely have been a select group who wanted an eco-friendly people mover to carry plenty of passengers and their luggage, hassle-free. You’ll probably have ridden in one from your hotel to the airport; you just didn’t know it. 

And yet for all its space and practicality, the old E-Traveller was hamstrung by such a short range that it was barely good enough for quick jaunts around town. Its 50kWh battery could only muster a range of up to 148 miles (closer to 120 miles in the real world), hence its use case as a family hauler or airport shuttle was dented.

Peugeot is hoping to address these limitations with the updated E-Traveller, which has been given a new battery, refreshed look and updated interior technology to help it keep pace with rivals like the Ford E-Tourneo Custom, and the technically related Vauxhall Vivaro Life and Citroën ë-Spacetourer. 

Moreover, Peugeot will also have its sights trained on electric seven-seat rivals like the Kia EV9 and Volkswagen ID Buzz, which have grown in number since the E-Traveller hit the road. 

So does this newfangled electric MPV have enough quality to persevere in the people-carrying segment or is it still held back by its van-based origins? 

Advertisement

DESIGN & STYLING

PEUGEOT ETRAVELLER 2024 UK EXT5

The E-Traveller has been given a light refresh over its blunt-nosed predecessor to bring it into line with the rest of the French marque’s passenger car range. 

As such, the E-Traveller features plenty of Peugeot design hallmarks, such as the new logo and LED three-claw light signature that adorns the front fascia of all current models. 

Of course, there’s only so much fettling Peugeot can achieve with Stellantis’s large passenger van, which is near-identical to those sold by Vauxhall, Citroën and Toyota. 

It looks better than the outgoing version, and while you’ll struggle to spot many differences between it and its Stellantis siblings, it's unassuming and simple. 

Although it looks identical to the Expert on which it is based, it does look a little more swish thanks to its alloy wheels and body-coloured bumpers. 

Modest styling tweaks aside, Peugeot has centred on bringing changes to the mechanical underpinnings of the E-Traveller, chiefly to the battery. Out goes the dated 50kWh unit and in its place sits a 75kWh lithium ion battery that promises a range of up to 217 miles – an increase of almost 70 miles over the previous generation. 

Two trims are available. Entry-level Active gets 17in alloys, a 10in touchscreen infotainment system and dual-zone climate control. Range-topping Allure trim gets diamond-cut 17in alloys, Peugeot’s upgraded i-Connect infotainment system with sat-nav, heated seats and a 180deg camera. 

You can have the E-Traveller with five or eight seats, and in Standard or Long (for long-wheelbase) form. 

INTERIOR

Peugeot E Traveller interior wide

There really isn’t anything that can come close to a van-based MPV when it comes to space and practicality. 

Our Long test car (eight-seat Standard is also available) felt cavernous inside: even with three rows and eight seats, there’s a 989-litre boot. Lower the 60:40-split folding third row and luggage capacity grows to a whopping 2400 litres. 

The driver’s seat base could do with being slightly longer and there’s not much support for your thighs. A bit of additional shoulder bolstering would help too.
Sam Phillips
Staff Writer

Remove both rows of rear seats and you have more than 4500 litres of load space to play with. 

Head room is good throughout, but leg room is a bit limited for adults in the very back, much like the seven-seat Kia EV9. The lofty driving position means you have a good view out and there’s a decent amount of adjustability in the seat.  

Hard, durable plastics are abundant, but as a big load-carrying MPV, it can be forgiven in this regard. Still, some more tactile materials on the dashboard wouldn’t go amiss and would certainly help move the cabin away from its van roots. 

The new 10in touch-operated infotainment screen is easy to use on the move despite some latency issues. You can hop between different functions without fuss, but it could respond more quickly and be graphically sharper. 

The dashboard itself is well conceived, with proper toggles and switches for the climate controls. You get plenty of cubby holes and charging ports for your phone too.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

Powering the front wheels is a 134bhp electric motor that also makes 192lb ft of torque, and while those figures would be suitable for many vans, it's not very effective in the big, heavy E-Traveller. 

You need only look at its 14.3sec 0-62mph time to realise that 134bhp isn’t enough to haul its 2240kg kerb weight. Even in Sport mode, it feels sluggish and slow. Building pace on a slip road takes time but it's fine on the motorway. Just be wary that the range will plummet when doing 70mph-plus.

Expect a bit of torque steer and the wheels to break traction when pulling out of a junction on a wet day
Sam Phillips
Staff Writer

Speaking of which, the quoted range of 217 miles is more like 180 in the real world, which limits the E-Traveller’s usability for families and airport shuttle fleets.

The regenerative braking system is controlled using the paddles behind the steering wheel (like many Stellantis EVs) and it works pretty well overall. The highest trailing-throttle regen setting is a bit too forceful, so we opted for the mid-rung setting when driving around town.

Don't expect much feel from the brake pedal, which is slightly too long and soft for our liking. 

RIDE & HANDLING

The E-Traveller is generally well mannered to drive. 

At 5.3 metres long, it feels more intimidating to thread through town than, say, a Kia EV9, but its lofty seating position gives a good view out. The steering is light and lacking in feedback, with lots of dead weight off-centre and there’s little feel to it when pootling around town at slow speeds. 

It rides okay in urban settings, but on rural back roads it feels quite bouncy and unsettled, with the odd thunk over potholes and pronounced imperfections. 

Unladen and with only the driver on board, it seems underdamped, with lots of jostle and jounce when travelling at a reasonable pace on an unkempt road. 

Body roll abounds through corners, but that is to be expected of a long-wheelbase MPV with van-based foundations. On smoother roads at around 40mph, it’s settled, pliant and generally easy to do miles in.

It’s untroubled at motorway speeds too. Just don’t be surprised by an increase in wind noise as a result of the Peugeot’s large frontal area. 

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

PEUGEOT ETRAVELLER 2024 UK EXT2

The E-Traveller’s 100kW peak DC charging is a drawback, especially if you're reliant on the public network. That means 45 minutes for a 10-80% charge, which is less than ideal, so it can’t match the sub-30 minute charging time of the 185kW-capable ID Buzz. 

That sort of slow charging speed might not be an issue for the panel van version, which is likely to do short distances during the day and be charged at a depot overnight, but it is an issue for a family hauler.

Then there’s the elephant in the room: the price. Entry-level Active models start from £48,925, but our long-wheelbase Allure model came in at £54,440. Equipment levels are strong and you get acres of room inside, but the driving experience and range are no match for those of its SUV rivals. 

It undercuts the likes of the Kia EV9 (£65,035) and the quirky Volkswagen ID Buzz (£59,135) on price, but both can travel further on a charge, are equally capacious and feel far less austere inside. 

And what of the Peugeot E-5008? Surely, for private buyers at least, it makes more sense. It costs only around £400 more than the E-Traveller but can be had with seven seats and will do more than 400 miles on a charge in big-battery form. 

VERDICT

PEUGEOT ETRAVELLER 2024 UK EXT7

There will be a select few who will look upon the E-Traveller with interest and are taken by its vast cabin, versatile load-carrying capabilities and genuine ease of use.

Indeed, its breezily spacious interior is the key selling point and the model still makes sense for businesses who need to clean up their fleets with a zero-emissions vehicle. 

But has Peugeot addressed the issues with the E-Traveller’s range? Not quite. It’s fine for town jaunts, but beyond urban environments, it becomes much less efficient and, fully loaded with passengers and luggage, you’ll get even less mileage from its battery. 

As a private buyer, we’d be inclined to look elsewhere. If you need minivan levels of room and practicality, it makes a strong case for families of five or more, but SUV rivals are far easier to recommend. 

The Volkswagen ID Buzz and Kia EV9 might be dearer, the Kia particularly so, but their greater range and general 'car-ness' make them better buys than the Peugeot. 

Sam Phillips

Sam Phillips
Title: Staff Writer

Sam joined the Autocar team in summer 2024 and has been a contributor since 2021. He is tasked with writing used reviews and first drives as well as updating top 10s and evergreen content on the Autocar website. 

He previously led sister-title Move Electric, which covers the entire spectrum of electric vehicles, from cars to boats – and even trucks. He is an expert in new car news, used cars, electric cars, microbility, classic cars and motorsport. 

Sam graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2021 with a BA in Journalism. In his final year he produced an in-depth feature on the automotive industry’s transition to electric cars and interviewed a number of leading experts to assess our readiness for the impending ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars.

New Peugeot E-Traveller cars in stock

 Peugeot E-Traveller 75kWh Allure Standard MPV Auto MWB 5dr (8 Seat, 7.4kW Charger)
£44,683
5miles
Electric
Automatic
5
View detailsopens in a new tab
Next
Prev
View all 1 cars
In partnership with