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By Jonathan Crouch

The e-Expert is Peugeot's take on a mid-sized electric LCV. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 56

Peugeot's take on mid-sized EV van motoring is represented by the e-Expert. All the advantages of its shared Stellantis Group design are in evidence here - and a few of the drawbacks too. But it's a competitive package that's well worth a look if you get offered the right deal and there's a Peugeot franchise nearby.

Backgroundword count: 144

Peugeot has a history of electric vehicles going right back to 1941 and these days, every van model it makes can come in full-EV form too. Here's the company's mid-sized LCV electric offering, the e-Expert. It doesn't have the unique dashboard display of the smaller e-Partner, but it is at least built completely by Peugeot, unlike the bigger e-Boxer model. As you'll probably know, this is a shared design, the same basic product also available as a Vauxhall Vivaro Electric, a Citroen e-Dispatch, a Fiat E-Scudo and a Toyota Proace Electric. That's a good thing as it meant a lot of engineering resource was poured into this product for its original 2021 launch. But more recently introduced mid-sized EV van contenders are catching up. It's the e-Expert still worth a serious look from business customers looking to make the battery switch? Let's find out.

Driving Experienceword count: 230

This isn't one of those EV vans that impresses you with its startling acceleration. The rest to 62mph sprint takes 13.1s in the 50kWh e-Expert and 14.3 in the 75kWh model. That choice of batteries is the same as with this model's Citroen, Fiat, Vauxhall and Toyota counterparts. The smaller of the two powerpacks won't take you very far - the 50kWh model manages a best of just 148 miles combined, or up to 196 miles in the city. With the pricier 75kWh battery fitted to your e-Expert van, there's a 211 mile combined range, which rises to 267 miles in the city. There's not too much to adjust to when driving this full-electric mid-sized van. Turn the key in the ignition, then wait for the starting beep, then flick the gear toggle into Drive. There's a drive-mode selector that allows you to switch between 'Eco', 'Normal' and 'Sport' modes. The 'Normal' setting restricts you to 109hp and will feel a bit like driving a lower capacity diesel. 'Eco' mode restricts you further to 81.5hp and reduces the power consumption of the air conditioning and other accessories. If you want the full 136hp of the electric motor, selecting 'Sport' mode unlocks it. There's also a gearshift selector 'B' option that ploughs extra regenerated energy back into the battery, offering more resistance while you're slowing down. Top speed is just 84mph.

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