2023 Peugeot e-Partner review: Australian first drive
It’s the smallest and the cheapest electric van on sale in Australia to date, however it is still a power of money compared to petrol and diesel city vans, and driving range is not its only limitation.
2023 Peugeot e-Partner
There is new alternative in the niche – but emerging – electric-van class in Australia.
Following the local arrival of large electric vans such as the Ford E-Transit, LDV eDeliver 9 and Mercedes-Benz eVito, the Peugeot e-Partner is a city van based on small-car underpinnings.
That means it fits into the same size parking spots as a small car, and is easy and comfortable to drive.
However the price is high, the driving range is limited, and key safety technology is missing.
And it has arrived in Australia three years after going on sale in Europe, so it is already past the halfway mark of its model-cycle.
How much does the Peugeot e-Partner cost in Australia?
There is only one model grade and it is priced from $59,990 plus on-road costs. Metallic paint adds $690.
Service intervals are listed at 12 months/25,000km (whichever comes first) versus 12 months/15,000km or 12 months/20,000km on petrol-powered Peugeots.
There are two pre-paid service plans: three years ($600) and five years ($1000).
| Key details | 2023 Peugeot e-Partner |
| Price | $59,990 plus on-road costs |
| Rivals | Volkswagen Caddy | Renault Kangoo E-Tech | Mercedes-Benz eVito |
How much space does the Peugeot e-Partner have inside?
The cabin is roomy thanks to the large roof and clever use of available space including cubbies on top of the dash, in the doors, and above the driver and front passenger.
Shoulder-to-shoulder the Peugeot e-Partner has similar roominess to a Toyota Corolla.
The driver’s seat has height adjustment and the steering column has height and reach adjustment, to help find a comfortable driving position.
Oddly, for all the tech, there is no push-button start. Instead, an old-school key needs to slide into an ignition barrel in the steering column. At least it has an electric park brake.
Even though the rear doors are windowless, Peugeot has not equipped the e-Partner with a digital rear-view mirror – or made it available as an option.
A solid cargo barrier behind the seats protects occupants, but it means the seats can’t be reclined far.
The cargo barrier restricts air-conditioning to the driver and front passenger, so if you need to cool the load area you will need to find another solution.
Peugeot Australia launched with the long-wheelbase variant of the e-Partner, which is 350mm longer than the short-wheelbase (4403mm versus 4753mm).
The company claims there is 3.9m3 of cargo space, accessed by sliding doors on each side of the car and twin ‘barn doors’ at the rear.
Load area dimensions are listed below.
| 2023 e-Partner (long wheelbase) | |
| Seats | Two |
| Cargo volume | 3.9m3 |
| Cargo length | 2167mm |
| Cargo height | 1243mm |
| Cargo width (maximum) | 1527mm |
| Cargo width (minimum) | 1229mm |
| Payload | 753kg |
| Vehicle length | 4753mm |
| Vehicle width | 1848mm |
| Vehicle height | 1880mm |
| Wheelbase | 2975mm |
Does the Peugeot e-Partner have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?
Wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, as are AM, FM and digital radio – accessed via an 8-inch touchscreen and sending sound through four speakers. Embedded navigation is not available on this model.
There is a volume dial but tuning must be done via the fiddly touchscreen.
There are steering wheel audio controls and a button to answer phone calls.
Is the Peugeot e-Partner a safe car?
The Peugeot e-Partner earned a below-average four-star safety rating when measured against 2019 testing protocols.
It is unclear what star rating the Peugeot e-Partner would receive if tested to today’s more stringent criteria.
Standard safety equipment includes:
- Six airbags
- Rear parking sensors
- Reversing camera
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Lane-keeping assistance
- Speed-sign recognition
- Tyre pressure loss warning
However, conspicuous by their absence: there is no radar cruise control, no blind-zone warning, no rear cross-traffic alert, no digital rear-view mirror camera, no centre airbag, and no front parking sensors.
These are remarkable oversights on a $60,000 vehicle that is trying to position itself as a technical leader.
Most of the missing equipment is standard on the most basic $30,000 Isuzu D-Max ‘traffic controller’ ute, so why is it not standard on a vehicle twice the price?
| 2023 Peugeot e-Partner | |
| ANCAP rating | Four stars (tested 2018) |
| Safety report | Link to ANCAP report |
What safety technology does the Peugeot e-Partner have?
Despite claiming Peugeot deems safety a high priority, the e-Partner only really has the basics covered by modern standards.
The speed-sign recognition worked well, but the absence of blind-zone warning and rear cross-traffic alert on a vehicle with limited visibility was frustrating.
Given this vehicle is likely to appeal to government and business fleets with safety mandates, these oversights are particularly glaring.
Then again, without a five-star safety rating, the Peugeot e-Partner may not make it on fleet lists.
How much does the Peugeot e-Partner cost to maintain?
Service intervals are listed at 12 months/25,000km (whichever comes first) versus 12 months/15,000km or 12 months/20,000km on petrol-powered Peugeots.
There are two pre-paid service plans: three years ($600) and five years ($1000).
The annual insurance premium quoted online by one leading insurance company was $2288. The quotes were based on a 35-year-old male driver with a garage address in Chatswood, NSW. For the purposes of the quote the vehicle was privately owned and had no finance owing. Insurance estimates vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.
| At a glance | 2023 Peugeot e-Partner |
| Warranty | Five years/200,000km (8 years/160,000km battery pack) |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 25,000km |
| Servicing costs | $600 (3 years) $1000 (5 years) |
Is the Peugeot e-Partner energy efficient?
We tested the vehicle on a city and suburban road loop with a 200kg load secured in the back, returning an impressive (for a van) consumption average of 16.9kWh/100km versus the claim of 21.8kWh/100km.
This puts consumption on par with, say, a Hyundai or Kia electric car (16 to 17kWh/100km) though not as frugal as a Tesla Model 3 (14 to 15 kWh/100km).
It is, however, more efficient than the super-large Ford E-Transit van we tested recently (25 to 26kWh/100km).
Energy Consumption – brought to you by bp
| Energy Efficiency | Energy Stats |
| Energy cons. (claimed) | 21.8kWh/100km |
| Energy cons. (on test) | 16.9kWh/100km |
| Battery size | 50kWh |
| Driving range claim (WLTP) | 258km |
| Charge time (2.3kW, household power socket) | 23h 54m |
| Charge time (7.4kW) | 7h 22m |
| Charge time (100kW) | 30m (0-80 per cent) |
What is the Peugeot e-Partner like to drive?
The Peugeot e-Partner is easy to drive and small-car owners will feel at home.
Anyone switching from a petrol or diesel city van will appreciate the silent and smooth power delivery of the electric motor.
However it is worth noting the Peugeot e-Partner is old tech when it comes to electric cars.
It has been on sale in Europe for three years and shares its underpinnings with Peugeot’s petrol van.
While benchmark electric vehicles on sale today are new from the ground up (with the battery pack forming the basis of the ‘skateboard’-style platform on which a body is mounted), the Peugeot e-Partner is more of a stop-gap measure until the next generation of vans arrive.
Although the Peugeot e-Partner is clearly not meant to be a performance vehicle, its acceleration is leisurely by electric-car and electric-van standards.
The official 0 to 100km/h claim is 11.2 seconds. This is average to below average for other city vans. And electric hatchbacks and SUVs are much brisker than this, completing the same task in 7 or 8 seconds. The super-large Ford E-Transit does the 0 to 100km/h dash in 9.3 seconds on our timing equipment, so the Peugeot is definitely taking it easy.
The Peugeot e-Partner has three drive modes: ‘Eco’ (60kW), ‘Normal’ (80kW) and ‘Power (100kW).
As their names imply, drivers can opt for longer driving range, better acceleration or settle for somewhere in the middle.
However, when the accelerator pedal is floored, the car defaults to power mode.
Equally, when battery capacity is running low, the car will automatically slip into the most economical mode and start switching off the air-conditioning and other features that sap energy.
As you might expect with a van, empty vessels tend to make the most noise, and the Peugeot e-Partner is louder than most small cars.
At city speeds it’s still possible to have a phone conversation, but you can hear the suspension bang over bumps and the tyres roar against the road surface.
The suspension was firm rather than cushioned, but this is a necessary compromise on load-carrying vehicles.
While many modern electric cars are rear-wheel-drive for better handling and tighter steering, the Peugeot e-Partner is based on an old front-drive platform shared with the company’s petrol vans and hatchbacks.
Despite the ageing engineering work under the skin, I enjoyed driving the Peugeot e-Partner on the media preview in Sydney last week.
However, some extra zip from a more powerful electric motor would be welcome, and Peugeot needs to address the safety shortcomings.
| Key details | 2023 Peugeot e-Partner |
| Engine | Electric motor |
| Power | 100kW |
| Torque | 260Nm |
| Drive type | Front-wheel drive |
| Transmission | Single speed (top speed 135km/h) |
| Power-to-weight ratio | 61.3kW/t |
| Weight | 1632kg (tare) |
| Spare tyre type | Full-size |
| Tow rating | 750kg braked 750kg unbraked |
| Turning circle | 11.4m |
Should I buy a Peugeot e-Partner?
Tough call. The Peugeot e-Partner’s price of $60,000 is a power of money for a city van.
But it’s probably easier for some fleet managers to get over the line with the finance department versus a $105,000 Ford E-Transit.
If money is no object, the much larger Ford E-Transit is a superior van in terms of functionality, drive-ability, standard safety inclusions, and the additional support of a significantly larger dealer network.
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