How Peugeot manages to outperform Tesla’s biggest rival with its electric E-3008

If the electric Peugeot E-3008 will eventually benefit from batteries produced in France, we will have to wait until 2025 for the manufacturing plant to be ready. So the first examples of electric cars will have to use Chinese BYD cells… but they turn out to be surprisingly less efficient than future French cells. We will explain everything to you.

The Peugeot E-3008 Electric And Renault 5 E-Tech have one thing in common: their desire to get Maximum elements made in France. This is how electric Peugeots are made SochauxIn the brand’s historic factory, and its batteries are assembled in parallel with the production line.

What about the cells that make up these batteries? If they eventually do Manufactured at the ACC Gigafactory in DouvrinIn Pas-de-Calais (62)… it’s a must-buy for the moment For Chinese BYDOne of the world leaders in batteries, and Tesla’s biggest rival, is pending the opening of a French factory.

In parallel with the tests of the Electric 3008, we were able to speak with its engineering director Christophe Patois. This is an opportunity to make a lot of discoveries.

A new platform

is E-3008 An important car for Peugeot (and his Stellantis group in general) for several reasons. On the one hand because the brand hopes to sell like hot cakes, but also because the SUV inaugurates a new platform, which STLA medium.

A new generation multi-energy platform (meaning: compatible with thermal, hybrid and 100% electric engines), capable of accommodating a range of batteries Up to 98 kWh of net capacity (priori 103 kWh total)

. “Putting 98 kWh into the wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear wheels, editor’s note) was such a short feat”Christophe Patois explains to us.

“To get there, we had to push the four corners and scrape every inch possible”, he adds, showing us the rear end for the wheels to pass through. The fact is that this 98 kWh version… we will not qualify it immediately, because we will have to wait. February 2025 at the earliest.

Series in several stages

When it launches in spring 2024, the Electric 3008 will only be entitled to the “Standard” pack. 73 kWh net (about 77 kWh gross). “We had to make a choice.”Before specifying, the project manager, Gaëtan Dumoulin, justifies: “We couldn’t develop all the versions at once, and we focused on the version that would be distributed the most”.

This first version, as a reminder, mounts the front engine (making the E-3008 front-wheel drive). 210 hp For this famous 73 kWh capacity battery, it offers everything Range of 527 km On the WLTP cycle. Recharging level, you have to calculate it 20 to 80% in 30 minutesBy a maximum power of 160 kW.

A version that will be joined by a 98 kWh capacity battery in a year, hence the target 700 km range. The front engine will be captured, but pushed forward 230 hp Thanks to the excellent discharge power of the battery. Recharging? promised 30 minutes Also, thanks for working on the charging curve – since the battery is bigger, the average power can be higher.

And it doesn’t stop there, since a The third type That time will come. It will use a 73 kWh battery, but add a second motor in the rear, which is enough to make this 3008 electric. All wheel drive.

Power jumps logically 320 hpEnough to improve performance: 0 to 100 km/h 8.8 s 6.4 cm And acceleration from 80 km/h to 120 km/h melts away, going from 5.6 seconds to 3.9 seconds.

Asked about this late date of February 2025, Christophe Patois gives us an explanation: “These two variants will only have ACC cells, and so we have to wait for the full opening of the ACC Gigafactory in Douvrin”. An opportunity to open a discussion on the differences between the BYD cells, which will equip the 3008 upon its release, and the upcoming ACC.

BYD vs ACC: The winner will surprise you

A little context

Let’s start with a quick reminder. BYD has emerged as the world’s number one manufacturer of electric cars, in addition to competing with Tesla One of the world’s leading battery cell suppliers through its subsidiary FinDreams.

FinDreams is also known for its in-house batteries, called Blades, which equip the brand’s cars… but also the Tesla Model Y Propulsion produced in Berlin. A remarkable LFP (Lithium – Iron – Phosphate) type battery, capable of being recharged very quickly (10-80 in 20 minutes on the Model Y), almost impossible to ignite and with an extended lifespan, all remains relatively inexpensive.

Be careful though: This blade is not in the program of E-3008, who choose so-called NMC (nickel – manganese – cobalt) batteries. More expensive technology, but with better energy density. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing: this electric 3008 is already pretty heavy, and the LFP would have made things worse.

The heart of the matter

In detail, the BYD battery of the E-3008 is divided 12 modulesAll heavy 520 kg. Chemistry? 60% nickel, 20% manganese and 20% cobalt (we are talking about an NMC 6:2:2 battery).

This is where things get tricky, as the upcoming ACC battery turns out to be more efficient than the… BYD! Does it provide good performance? “No Way”Gaëtan Demoulin and Christophe Patois answer me, “We want to keep the same figures for both technologies to maintain readability in the series”. understandable.

In fact, this ACC battery is all that is needed 11 modules To reach 527 km of autonomy. No advantage in the cabin or trunk, though 30 kg savings (or “only” a total of 490 kg). As for the charging time, even if no figure is specified, it should be the same – always with this idea of ​​transparency for the customer.

So the charging power will remain at 160 kW, but the discharge power (which the battery sends to the motors) should be higher than the BYD battery, thus making it possible to reach the 320 hp of the 4×4 version.

The secret? A different chemistry : Here we move to a mixture of 80% Nickel / 10% Manganese / 10% Cobalt. So, if you follow closely, we have an 8:1:1 NMC battery.

Shared chemistry and number of cells with the 98 kWh pack, that would be easy thick (downwards, no change in edge space) 15mm. It will be necessary priority calculation 590 kg For this pack (+100 kg vs 73 kWh pack), that won’t help the weight of the E-3008.

Let’s end with some good news: Repairability is considered, because each module can be changed individually – it will take about 1h30 in the workshop. Good thing, because not everyone can say the same.

What to conclude? How happy we are that cells produced in France are beneficial both for jobs… and for the electric cars equipped with them. And this is just the beginning, as gigafactory projects are mushrooming in France, and especially in the north.

Regret? Come on, that’s embarrassing Recharge time is not at best For this brand new STLA medium platform.

Partly the fault of A’s choice 400 volt architecture (going to 800 volts would allow recharging in less than 20 minutes, like a Hyundai or Kia), even though Stallantis assures that this platform “flexible” And “developmentalist” Over time; What can we expect in the coming years?

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