Peugeot iOn e-car

iMiEV evolved

Mon 20 Jun 2011 // 11:00 UTC

Power!

If you fancy being able to recharge a little faster than using a standard 13A socket, PSA has formed a partnership with EDF Energy which, for £799, will pop round to your place, carry out a site survey and install a 16A charging point complete with a meter and timer to take full advantage of off-peak power rates.

Boot's not bad either

Users will also get a statement telling them how much it has cost to keep their e-car juiced up. According to Peugeot, charging from the dedicated 16A socket rather than a domestic 13A plug will cut the standard seven-hour charge time by 35 per cent.

If you really want to push the board out with your charging infrastructure, then around the other side of the car from the 16A charger socket sits a connector for a 330V three-phase charger that will give you an 80 per cent charge in 30 minutes. Right now, that's not something EDF will sell you.

Incidentally, Peugeot is also saying that by taking you electricity from EDF - which apparently has a higher percentage of nuclear generation than some other UK power suppliers, and being French that's no surprise - the iOn’s total end-to-end emissions work out at 24.6g/km, down from a UK electricity supplier average of 44.2g/km. OK, that’s not zero, but it’s better than a kick in the teeth.

Verdict

With more efficient regenerative braking, an improved cabin and the removal of any options to fiddle with the motor output, this iMiEV-by-another-name is a rather more enticing ownership proposition than when I last drove it. The all-in leasing scheme should appeal to anyone worried about battery degradation or who thinks this whole “ownership” thing is a bit passé. ®