Stellantis has increased the range on its small full-electric vehicles up to 25 km (13 miles), with different tires, gear ratios and new heat pumps.
The upgrade applies to small EVs on the group’s e-CMP platform, and will apply at the start of 2022.
The Peugeot e-208 small hatchback gains 22 km of range, to 362 km, on the WLTP combined cycle, Peugeot said this month, while the e-2008 small SUV gains 25 km, to 345 km.
The Opel/Vauxhall Corsa-e small car now has 359 km of range, a gain of about 25 km, and Mokka-e small SUV goes from 322 km to 338 km. A sibling model, the premium DS 3 Crossback E-Tense, gains 24 km, to 341 km.
When launched in 2019, the e-208 and Corsa-e had significantly less range than their primary competitor, the Renault Zoe, which has been continually upgraded since its 2013 launch and now offers up to 395 km of range.
In addition to the announced mixed-cycle range increases, Stellantis said that low-temperature range is vastly improved, with gains of up to 40 km in urban driving at 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit).
Other small EVs on the market in Europe include the Honda e, with a range of 280 km; the Fiat New 500, with a range of 320 km; and the Mini Electric, with a range of 234 km.
Stellantis says it has increased the range of its small EVs with three strategies:
- New tires from Continental with a reformulated compound that offers lower rolling resistance, on 16- and 17-inch wheels
- A new heat pump, with a humidity sensor at the top of the windshield that better controls air recirculation inside the cabin and saves energy when heating and cooling
- Different gear ratios to optimize range during open-road driving.
Source: https://europe.autonews.com/automakers/stellantis-extends-range-small-evs-peugeot-opel-ds