BMW i3 vs Peugeot e-208

The BMW i3 costs £10,115 more than the Peugeot e-208. On the headline specs that premium buys little measurable advantage - the two are closely matched on range, charging and space. The Peugeot e-208 is not just cheaper - it also offers 34 miles more WLTP range, 50 kW faster peak rapid charging and 1 more seat (5 versus 4). On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the Peugeot e-208 comes out ahead overall.

The Peugeot e-208 is £10,115 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £168 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the Peugeot e-208 comes out roughly £10,115 cheaper overall. These figures cover list price and home charging only - insurance, servicing, tyres and depreciation will move the real total.

EVcarsguide estimates a real-world motorway range of about 129 miles for the BMW i3 and 155 miles for the Peugeot e-208 - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The Peugeot e-208 goes roughly 25 miles further between charging stops.

The two are within 10 mm on width, so neither is meaningfully easier to thread into a tight space. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 635 mm of total clearance for the Peugeot e-208 and about 625 mm of total clearance for the BMW i3. The BMW i3 also turns in a 0.5 m tighter circle, which helps with U-turns and multi-storey ramps.

Over a 8-year ownership window EVcarsguide's degradation model projects roughly 88% battery health for the BMW i3 and 84% for the Peugeot e-208. That gives the BMW i3 a modest edge in retained real-world range. Both use NMC-type cells, so for daily use keep the charge limit near 80% to slow degradation. Both batteries carry a 8-year manufacturer warranty.