FROM behind the wheel driving the Peugeot i0n is fun.
It’s nippy and manoeuvrable – ideal for zero emission city driving.
Inside, it is surprisingly conventional apart from the instrumentation which as well as s digital speedo shows the amount of charge left in the battery pack, the power flow and the range remaining.
With only forward and reverse gears, acceleration is very brisk – it feels nippier than a conventional car although 0 to 60 is timed at 15.9 seconds. A top speed of 81mph means it can handle motorway work.
The name – it’s i-zero-n – is a play on electrical particles and zero CO2 output.
Think of driving a little automatic and you will not be far from off the mark – although the pull from the engine is significantly better.
A full charge will give you in the region of 93 miles but that will vary depending on speed, driving conditions and the weather. In the cold it’s not going to go so far.
The range also depends on whether the air conditioning, heated rear screen and the like are being used. More drain on the battery means less miles can be travelled and you will see the range decrease and even increase depending on circumstances.
If you get dangerously low on battery power the car automatically switches off all but the vital systems (wipers, lights and the like stay operational) and warnings sound when the range drops below some 20 miles.
Run flat – where somewhat strangely a tortoise symbol will be shown on the dash - and you will have to be recovered. The car can be towed but only at speeds of less than 30mph.
Surprisingly there is little whine from the engine or transmission. Road rumble and wind noise are what you will experience most – and with the car being slightly slab sided it is prone to buffeting in crosswinds.
Stability controls, ABS and air conditioning are standard and so are automatic headlamps, electric windows and mirrors as well as a plug-in point for music players – the only thing missing is a clock which would add drain to the batteries when the car was stationary.
With the battery pack – it’s made up of 88 individual lithium ion cells so if one fails it can be replaced – slung below the floor there is a low centre of gravity which results in some excellent handling, especially when cornering.
It’s rear wheel drive and weighs in at just over a ton.
The i0n is the same size as an average supermini such as the Peugeot 107 and with its high roofline has good interior space. Boot space at 170 litres is par for the course – plentiful for shopping.
Recharging is done by hooking up one of two leads – one for a roadside charger, the other for a domestic supply – to a socket on the back of the vehicle hidden beneath a flap, just like you would with a petrol or diesel car.
A full charge takes around seven hours but the car can be quick-charged to 80 per cent capacity in around 30 minutes.
The electric motor itself is concealed and under the bonnet all you will see are the fluid reservoirs and a conventional battery used to start the car.
On the safety front, the i0n is fitted with six air bags and its sister model, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV has just achieved a four star rating in the Euro NCAP crash tests.
The safety systems include an instant shut off to the car’s high voltage supply and batteries in the event of a crash.