Another Stellantis product to undergo a refresh, with more tech and more miles from the battery. By John Kendall.

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Arguably, e-Partner was one of the first dedicated electric medium vans to reach the market in 2016, along with its Citroën ë-Dispatch stablemate. The van was designed from the outset to be fitted with a range of drivetrains, rather than being a conversion of an existing model. Then, as now, the model is offered with a choice of batteries. The latest models have the option of either a 50kWh or 75kWh battery pack – it’s essentially a matter of range versus cost. If you’re running locally, then the 50kWh pack will help to keep purchase price or leasing costs down, but if longer distances are part of the picture, the 75kWh option would make more sense.

The latest model gets a revised front-end featuring the new Peugeot logo and grille. Higher-spec Asphalt models, such as the one we are testing, get full LED headlights  as standard, body-coloured bumpers, 17-inch wheel trims and electrically adjustable folding door mirrors.

Standard on all models is a heated driver’s seat, 10-inch digital touchscreen and 10-inch digital instrument screen, as well as “OK Peugeot” voice assistant, now integrated with Chat GPT. Asphalt spec adds the Peugeot i-Connect advanced infotainment system, with TomTom 3D connected navigation.

The load space remains the same as the outgoing model, with a choice of Standard and Long versions in both panel van and crew van options. For our Long variant, that provides a load volume of 6.1m³ or 5.3m³ for Standard models. Long variants have a 350mm longer load floor, giving a load floor length of 2,512mm, which can be extended further by the load-through bulkhead fitted to our test vehicle, giving an overall length of 3,674mm.

Obvious changes from the driver’s perspective are the all-digital instruments and full LED headlights. As before, the van has three regenerative braking modes selected with steering wheel paddles. On the road, the steering feels more fluid than before, while the optional heated steering wheel was welcome in cooler weather.

In the back, the load area is unchanged and the through-loading bulkhead will be useful for those who carry long items such as pipes or ladders. The long body offers a useful amount of loading space without moving up to a larger van.

On the road, we experienced the same issues that we did in our Citroën ë-Berlingo test (pp XX) and also brought back memories of our long-term test Citroën ë-Dispatch from three years ago. It’s a fine vehicle for local running, but driving at motorway speeds will rapidly bring the range down – and the over-optimistic range indicator is not a good guide to actual mileage. Running at lower speeds on motorways will definitely help, as will the Eco mode, but if speed is of the essence, it would be countered by additional charging stops.

In Brief

WHAT IS IT?  A revised version of the Peugeot e-Expert with improved range

MODEL TESTED? Peugeot e-Expert Panel Van Long 75kWh Asphalt

PRICE?  From £44,685 (ex-VAT, but including £5,000 PiVG)

RANGE?  Up to 217 miles (WLTP combined)

LOAD VOLUME?  6.1m³ (L2H1)

GROSS PAYLOAD? 955kg (includes 75kg driver)

DRIVE? 134hp/260Nm front-mounted motor, front-wheel drive with 75kWh lithium-ion under-floor battery packs

CHARGING? 100kW on-board DC rapid charger and 7.4kW AC charger (single phase) or 11kW (three phase)

Key fleet model: Peugeot e-Expert Panel Van Standard Professional

Thumbs up: Good to drive with well thought-out controls

Thumbs down: The range prediction where high speeds are involved is not accurate

Seven-word summary: Still a good choice. Local running preferred

Verdict

The e-Expert remains a good van and although improved in several ways, the latest version could not match the claimed range when running at higher speeds, making it best suited to local back-to-base work.