Peugeot e-2008 (2023): The first EV rental I didn’t like.
Everything about it is mediocre. Acceleration is plodding. Brakes are mushy. Suspension has you bouncing around. Infotainment screen feels like something from 20 years ago. Backup camera quality is low. Forward visibility is meh. The 50 kWh battery in my rental limits its range. Even the turn signals feel sloppy, often clicking one more time after you’ve turned them off.
And, similar to other cars never designed to be EVs, there’s a huge column down the center of the interior flooring, ready to hold a full gearbox and exhaust system.
All that said: Would I take an e-2008 over a more premium gas car? Absolutely. It still has benefits that even the worst EV can’t mess up: Lower running costs, good torque, surprisingly good cornering due to its low center of gravity, and no emissions (especially nice if you want to run the A/C while parked).
