Driving to friends or family for Christmas? Ready for the arguments over range anxiety and worry over distances? Worry not, Peugeot has you covered.
In a survey that included 2,000 drivers, the French firm has revealed the average distance a person living in the UK drives to see friends and family at this time of year.
Across the UK the average distance is 79 miles with people in Northern Ireland making the shortest trip at 59 miles, while Londoners do more than double that, coming in at 122 miles.
Average distance travelled to see friends and family this Christmas
| Region | Average distance travelled to see friends and family this Christmas (miles) |
| London | 122 |
| South East | 94 |
| South West | 81 |
| North East | 81 |
| East Midlands | 78 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 76 |
| East Anglia | 75 |
| Wales | 75 |
| Scotland | 71 |
| West Midlands | 71 |
| North West | 71 |
| Northern Ireland | 59 |
| Average | 79 |
Now, this is a good thing for Peugeot because their new e-208 is capable of up to 217miles on a single charge, so you can visit relatives and just make it back if you’re careful on the pedals and don’t overtax the “innovative” (says the press release) 3D i-Cockpit, which offers the option to project information like a hologram via the colour touchscreen.
“Christmas is a time many of us hit the road to see our loved ones. Though we will all be covering great distances in the coming weeks, our research shows nearly every driver in the UK could do their Christmas journey in a full-electric all-new PEUGEOT e-208,” David Peel, Managing Director of Peugeot UK.“ Drivers would not only save money on their Christmas journey but also significantly cut emissions.”
WhichEV was hands-on with the Peugeot e-208 back in November – although it was an early left-hand drive version. The car does look very attractive – and not just on the exterior, but also inside the vehicle's cabin, where the vehicle incorporates a holographic screen.
As for power, it's got a 136 hp electric motor and a 50 kWh battery, which supports a 100 kW rapid charge; that's an 80% charge in just 30 minutes, meaning a service station stop for a top-up could see drivers add another 173 miles of range.
The problem with the e-208 as a Christmas 2019 car
But there’s just one problem, and it’s not the fact you would need a huge stocking to put one in if you were buying it as a gift for someone – it’s that the car won’t be available until 2020. Not having the car to drive would certainly significantly cut down on emissions, as the above quote points out.
But if that doesn’t put you off, the car starts at £29,095 and is receiving a number of strong reviews online at various websites. Considering its price and quoted driving range, you'll have to pay double for something like the Jaguar I-Pace and Mercedes EQC 400 4Matic.
Alongside BMW’s new Mini Electric and MG’s ZS EV, consumer options in the sub-£30,000 mark are looking a lot healthier for 2020 than they were at the start of 2019.
WhichEV applauds another major brand taking its first steps into the EV market, and with the brand focusing on ‘Range Anxiety', we think that's smart. Whether customers will be able to buy in time to make this year’s Christmas journey, is another question.