New iOn: 93 mile range.

Peugeot is to market its new iOn electric car as an ‘all-inclusive’ contract-hire package. The first UK deliveries will be at the end of 2010.

A typical four-year, 40,000 mile contract will cost drivers £415 a month excluding VAT. This includes:

• the lease of the vehicle (with the battery pack considered part of the vehicle);
• full warranty cover for the vehicle, battery and electric powertrain for the period of the lease;
• full servicing and maintenance for four years and 40,000 miles; and
• Peugeot Connect Services (available April 2011).

The manufacturer says its ‘industry-leading offer’ will make exactly the same benefits available to the second user as well via a second four-year contract for a reduced monthly payment.

Peugeot says its iOn combines ‘remarkable packaging with a spacious interior, ease of driving, high levels of safety, big car comfort levels and a high standard specification’. Aimed primarily at the urban market it also benefits from all the inherent advantages provided by electric technology, namely unprecedented silence, the absence of tailpipe emissions and ‘superb driveability’.

Range

Older technology electric vehicles have previously been severely limited in their range between battery charges. Peugeot claims, however, that new battery technologies mean vehicles can now go considerably further without having to recharge.

The iOn's energy management system for the Lithium-ion battery pack together with ‘optimised energy recovery during deceleration and braking’ gives the car a potential range of 93 miles. In practical terms this is sufficient to cover the majority of a motorist's daily trips, 90% of which are less than 35 miles.

iOn: potential annual saving of £5,150.

It takes six hours to fully recharge the battery using a traditional household socket, while a quick charge using a special charging unit provides a 50% charge in only 15 minutes, or 80% in 30 minutes. Bearing in mind that a conventional car is at a standstill for up to 90% of the time when used in an urban or semi-urban context, the time needed to recharge the iOn is ‘entirely compatible’ with what motorists are used to.

Running costs

Peugeot says that, with average running costs estimated at £2.50 per 120 miles, the iOn’s energy bill is unbeatably low regardless of which recharging mode is used. Carried out overnight or during ‘off-peak hours’ recharging costs can be reduced further and help optimise the use of available power produced by the electricity supply companies.

As an electric vehicle, the iOn also benefits from a range of cost savings over a conventional internal combustion engine vehicle:

• no petrol or diesel costs – a potential saving of £1,515 per year;
• no Congestion Charge (where applicable) – saving of £1,696 annual charge for London; and
• no parking charges (where applicable, eg City of Westminster) – potential saving of £1,939 per year (£10 x 230 days of parking, less admin fee).

This offers a total potential annual saving of £5,150 from operating an electric vehicle over a conventional car.

Safety

The iOn has the same level of safety equipment as a conventional modern car. Its standard equipment – six air bags, ESP, electronic brake force distribution (EBFD), emergency brake assist (EBA) – and the design of the body structure will allow it to achieve a four-star rating in the 2010-2011 Euro NCAP.

Market and its customers

The success of the European electric vehicle market will be very dependent on tax incentives at the time of purchase or during ownership, the introduction of infrastructures, possible ecological constraints in terms of urban traffic and the fluctuating price of fossil fuels. The market is expected to grow gradually, representing 4% to 5% of the total European market by the year 2020. For this reason iOn production will build gradually, rising to a projected total of 50,000 by the year 2015.)

The iOn is targeted mainly at local government, local authorities and public services and companies active in the transport and energy sectors, leasing companies, car sharing companies and the fleets of large corporations. To a lesser extent, private individuals are also target customers. Peugeot says: ‘Convinced of the strengths of the brand, they will be the forerunners of this new relationship with the motor car.’

Peugeot already has a long history in the production of electric vehicles: it launched its first vehicle in 1941, the three-wheeled VLV. In 1995, it launched what is still the best selling electric vehicle, the Peugeot 106 electric.

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