Peugeot E-Expert 2024 Review

The 2024 Peugeot E-Expert van is priced at $79,990 (plus on-road costs) and is available in a single, long wheelbase variant, the E-Expert Pro Long Auto. Ice white costs no extra, while optional colours Artense Grey, Titanium Grey and Nera Black add $690 to the purchase price.

The E-Expert costs about $18,000 more than the diesel Expert Pro Long, but pricing doesn’t look too far removed from similar battery electric competitors. For example, the LDV eDeliver starts at $67,358 (as a SWB variant; LWB is priced from $69,463), the Mercedes-Benz e-Vito is priced from $98,951 while the incoming Volkswagen ID Buzz Cargo begins at $79,990 (all prices plus ORCs). Ford’s E-Transit is also due to arrive soon, at an estimated $70k price.

The E-Expert comes with a five-year/200,000km warranty, also covered by three-year paintwork and 12-year corrosion warranties as well as an eight-year/160,000km warranty for the battery. Scheduled services are due at 12-month/25,000km intervals, and Peugeot provides either pay-as-you-go or pre-paid service plans. Pre-paid totals for three, four and five years are $750, $1100 and $1350 respectively. Pay-as-you-go costs more; for example, five years of servicing totals $1846 if you pay after each service.

The 2024 Peugeot E-Expert has a new frontal treatment and cabin. Peugeot says the driving position offers improved comfort, ergonomics and practicality for 2024 – more on that later. There’s a new dual-zone climate control system, 180-degree colour reversing camera (with a top-down view) and front and rear parking sensors as standard kit, as well as dual sliding doors and rear barn doors at the back.

Technology is covered by the new for Expert 10-inch infotainment touch-screen and a 10-inch digital dashboard with configurable screens. There are other features too, including Bluetooth phone functionality, wireless phone mirroring and two dash-mounted USB-C ports.

Overlooked for a long time, safety has become more important in commercial vans, in part because of health and safety legislation. If you rummage in the E-Expert’s safety bag you’ll find among other things autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning, blind-spot detection, lane departure warning (with unmarked road edge detection), active lane keep assist, traffic sign recognition, driver attention warning and acoustic vehicle alerting system.

ANCAP has not crash-tested the E-Expert, or yet considered it for the Commercial Van Safety Comparison, in which ANCAP assesses active safety features. The crash safety authority gave the diesel Expert, on which the E-Expert is based, a ‘silver’ rating or 55 per cent in a 2022 test. That test revealed the Expert had achieved mixed results for its autonomous emergency braking systems, and its lane support system was rated as ‘weak’.

Powered by a 75kWh lithium-ion battery, the E-Expert delivers a WLTP test range of 330km. And the range is enhanced by a three-level regenerative braking system activated by the steering paddles. The motor develops 100kW and 260Nm, and operates in any of three selectable driving modes (Eco, Power and Normal).

Strategically avoiding downtime is more of a thing with an EV van than with an ICE commercial. The E-Expert can be charged in about 45 minutes from zero to 80 per cent with a 100kW quick DC charger. Otherwise, when charging from zero to 100 per cent with a single phase 32A Wallbox (7.4kW), the Peugeot will require 23 hours to recharge; a three-phase 16A Wallbox (11kW) requires about seven and half hours and a 10A domestic plug (2.3kW) about 36 hours.

Firstly the 2024 Peugeot E-Expert provides a good payload capacity (1001kg) and ample 6.1 cubic meters of load area, which will accept a standard pallet through the rear barn doors. With a 5.33 meter length, a width of just over 2.2 metres with mirrors open, and a height of just over 1.94 metres, the E-Expert is not too ungainly for weaving through various delivery destination paths, such as narrow lanes and multi-level carparks.

This van offers really good fit and finish for a commercial vehicle, and its features list is also quite good given it’s running around with the expensive battery tech under the floor. Access to the cabin and the load area is very good (including a low loading height, particularly from the rear doors). There are handy tie-down points in the rear and plenty of clever, useful storage options in the cabin and the cargo area, such as the load-though area, where the kerbside passenger seat lifts and reveals an opening flap to load long items.

The E-Expert is quiet – helped not just by its electric motor but also by the standard bulkhead – and responsive to input from the driver’s right foot. Ride is on the abrupt side, but it is not by any means bone-jarring. Placing the E-Expert on the road is easy, and with its large mirrors and reversing camera it’s not difficult manoeuvring in tight confines. The turning circle is good for a long-wheelbase van (12.4 metres) and the switchgear and controls are not difficult to work.

While we didn’t get a full week in the E-Expert, our abbreviated test saw an urban energy consumption figure average of 23.4kWh/100km. With battery capacity remaining, it suggested a 300km-plus range was viable – but we’d need more time with the E-Expert to verify this.

Even though you don’t buy a van for performance, the E-Expert is slow even when unladen, and activating the ‘Power’ mode doesn’t improve it much. Overseas test figures suggest a 0-100km/h acceleration time of more than 14 seconds, and it feels it. Not that will matter to many, but the maximum towing weight of 750kg (unbraked) and 1000kg (braked) is low, and I can’t imagine how easily the E-Expert would tow that with a full payload up a hill – or how much range would suffer.

Seating has become so unremarkably good in most vehicles it usually doesn’t rate a mention, but the E-Expert driver’s seat felt as though it could do with more padding in its base; it just started to feel a little hard to sit on after an hour or so. Perhaps having a try before you buy is a good idea, as everyone’s idea of seat comfort is different.

While the E-Expert’s technology was easy to operate and active safety systems were not annoying and distracting as some are, the test vehicle did log a fault code, disabling the traction control-related features for a couple of start sequences before disappearing off the dash screen.

This is a good quality, well-specified EV van that also offers ample and convenient load space; within its competitor set the E-Expert represents relatively good value. While its driving range appears acceptable for urban use at least, the lack of power and, for some, the lack of seat comfort might make it less appealing.

2024 Peugeot E-Expert at a glance:
Price: $79,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: Single permanent magnet synchronous motor
Output: 100kW/260Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 75kWh lithium-ion
Range: 330km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 22.5kWh/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested

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