Driving Bizarrely, starting isn’t keyless. You have to insert and turn an ignition key as though e-Partner were a traditional diesel or petrol van, even though there is nothing to ignite. Tere is no gearshift lever, however.
Instead, drivers are faced with a switch which allows them to select Neutral, Reverse or Drive. Tey can also make use of another
switch which allows them to select from one of three different drive modes which determine the level of performance they will enjoy. Opt for Power and you will take off like
the proverbial rocket. It’s ideal if you need to get past slow-moving traffic in a hurry, but watch out for lurking speed cameras. Te more use you make of Power mode, the faster you’ll drain the battery. If that is a worry then use the Eco setting instead, but if you do then you’ll accelerate less quickly, and won’t make the progress you might like to. Most drivers will probably conclude that
Normal mode is the best bet. It delivers sufficient on-highway grunt for most tasks and shouldn’t shorten your range unduly. If range is a worry then make sure you
make full use of the van’s regeneration system. It captures energy that would otherwise be lost when the van decelerates, and pumps it into the battery. You can alter the level of regeneration
by using paddles on either side of the steering wheel. Te left-hand paddle boosts it, the right-hand paddle brings it back down again. Use the most aggressive setting and it
will slow you down the way a retarder on a heavy commercial vehicle does, which can mean you have to touch the brake pedal less frequently. Aside from a slight amount of body-roll
as you swing through bends, e-Partner handles well enough. It hops about a bit when empty, but a few bags of gravel in the back soon calm it down. Without a diesel under the bonnet in- cab noise is muted, although the absence of an engine means that other sources of noise – the tyres for example – become a lot more noticeable. An acoustic alert system warns vulnerable road users such as cyclists and pedestrians that you are in their vicinity. Range? Peugeot quotes a Worldwide
Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure combined figure of 213 miles between recharges, but this will be influenced, for good or ill, by the outside temperature,
THE FINAL VERDICT
Design 8/10 Stellantis set itself the task of developing a zero-emission compact van for local urban and suburban work and it’s achieved its aim.
Cabin 7/10 Three-seater cab leaves too little room for the middle passenger but on the plus-side replacing the interior rear-view mirror with a camera works amazingly well.
Ride 7/10 Competent enough, and improves when you put some weight in the back. It’s electric, so it’s quiet, with no annoying squeaks or creaks.
Load area 8/10 Anybody carrying extra-long items will welcome the load-through facility. More secure than having to use a roof rack.
Slight body roll doesn’t upset e-Partner’s ability to take corners and the Power mode setting packs bags of punch – if you don’t mind your range shortening.
Choice of drive modes and the regeneration paddles performance and range you need.
Asphalt trim gets you most of the kit you’re likely to require, and we like the i-Connect infotainment package.
Long service intervals and a long battery warranty should help keep costs down.
What Van? Does exactly what it says on the tin. A choice you can’t quarrel with.
Overall rating: 78/100 49
your driving style and how much weight you are carrying.
Operating Service intervals are set at two years/25,000 miles and the LED headlamps should last forever. Warranty cover lasts for three years/60,000 miles, but the battery is covered by an eight- year/100,000-mile warranty that kicks in if its charging capacity fall to less than 70% of its capacity when new. Our demonstrator was finished in extra-
cost grey metallic paint with colour-keyed door handles and a colour-keyed rear bumper. Side rubbing strips protect the body’s exterior from minor damage.
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