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Peugeot has revealed an all-electric version of its 408 fastback model, completing the company’s 12-vehicle EV line-up.
The 408 was launched in 2022 as a plug-in hybrid, with a hybrid and petrol version also joining the range. However, the 408’s E-EMP3 (efficient modular platform) architecture was always built with full electrification in mind.
The 408 shares its platform technology with the slightly smaller Peugeot 308, yet the longer wheelbase of the 408 means a bigger 58.2 kWh battery can sit between the front and rear wheels. That said, Peugeot’s quoted 281 mile maximum range for the e-408 is some way short of the 300 mile plus range of rivals like the Tesla Model 3.
A standard heat pump helps to improve efficiency in cold weather, while fast charging at up to 120kW means the battery can charge from 20 to 80 per cent in just over 30 minutes; 62 miles of range can be added in just over ten minutes.
We don’t have performance figures yet for the e-408, but we do know that the electric motor powers the front wheels with 210bhp of power and 345NM of torque.
None of the 408’s sleek bodywork has been changed in the transformation to e-408, although the underbody has been tweaked with an aerodynamic, flat floor said to boost efficiency. Peugeot claims a 4.1m/kWh figure.
The 408 gets plenty of feline references in its design, with the slim LED headlights featuring two downward LED strips that are supposed to represent fangs. The rear LED lights represent three claws – like on other Peugeots – while the rear shoulders above the wheel arches mimic cat ears (or so claims Peugeot’s design team, we can’t quite see it).
The Independent