Pure-electric Peugeot e-Partner Van on sale now from £31,262

The electric Peugeot e-Partner Van is available to order in the UK now, with prices starting from £31,262 including the government’s plug-in van grant. And if that seems expensive, it’s worth noting that the electric van isn’t offered in the firm’s cheapest trim level.

Buyers have a choice of Peugeot’s Professional Premium and flagship Asphalt Premium specifications. Standard equipment for the former includes front fog lights, steel wheels with plastic wheel trims, electrically folding door mirrors and an alarm system.

There’s also plenty of safety equipment, including rear parking sensors, a tyre pressure monitoring system, cruise control, a speed limiter and an SOS call function, which will automatically alert the emergency service in the event of an accident.

Inside, the e-Partner Professional Premium features electric windows, air-conditioning, a head-up display and an eight-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s also a load-through flap in the bulkhead which allows items up to 3,440mm long to be transported inside the vehicle.

Prices for the range-topping Asphalt Premium model start from £33,200. Extra equipment includes 16-inch alloy wheels, body-coloured bumpers and exterior trim, front and rear parking sensors and a digital rear-view mirror.

The cabin also benefits from a lift, with a 10-inch digital instrument cluster, a multi-function steering wheel, an improved infotainment system with real-time traffic updates, a speed camera locator and voice recognition.

There’s a choice of two wheelbases available, but only with the cheaper Professional Premium van. The standard model has up to 3.8 cubic metres of storage space, while the long-wheelbase version can swallow 4.4 cubic metres. Prices for the XL van start from £32,702 including the government grant.

Buyers can also opt for the e-Partner in Crew Van specification, although it’s only available on the long-wheelbase van with Peugeot’s Professional Premium trim-level. It adds an extra row of seats in the rear and glazed side doors. Prices start from £34,082.

Peugeot e-Partner: platform and powertrain

Like the e-Expert, the e-Partner is based on a modified version of Peugeot’s EMP2 platform, which means it uses the same electric motor and 50kWh battery pack as the larger van. The motor has an output of 134bhp and 260Nm of torque, which is enough for a 0-62mph time of 11.2 seconds and a top speed of 81mph. Maximum range is quoted at 171 miles.

Peugeot has also retained the e-Expert’s powertrain modes, with three options to choose from. Eco mode limits the motor’s output to 80bhp, which Peugeot says will help conserve the battery’s charge. Normal is designed for everyday driving and increases the motor’s power to 107bhp, while Power mode unlocks the system’s maximum performance.

As it shares the same electrical architecture as the e-Expert, its charge times are identical. An 80 per cent top up takes just 30 minutes when plugged into a 100kW rapid charger, while a full charge takes around five hours when connected to an 11kW wall box.

The e-Partner can also carry a maximum payload of 800kg and tow a maximum weight of 1,000kg. There’s also a new overload indicator for the dashboard, which indicates to the driver when the van is nearing its maximum weight capacity and delivers a warning when it’s carrying more than it’s rated to.

Other safety equipment includes a trailer stability control system, autonomous emergency braking, a blind-spot monitoring system, hill start assist and Peugeot’s Advanced Grip Control system, which is available as an optional extra and has five settings for different weather and terrain conditions.

What do you make of the new Peugeot e-Partner? Let us know in the comments section below…