Test drive the new Peugeot iOn

Nov 16 2009 Maurice Glover

Test drive the new Peugeot iOn

PEUGEOT is offering motorists the chance to find out what it's like to drive an electric car.

Register your interest now and the French car maker will promise an early test of its forthcoming iOn model.

Due in British showrooms by the end of next year, the zero-emissions model has already attracted the attention of local authorities across Europe.

Nine major European companies are also said to want to include it in car-sharing and fleet programmes.

Officials at the firm regard the car that has been developed in co-operation with Mitsubishi as an answer to the problem of providing super-clean transport in cities and urban areas and believe it will be a hit with family motorists.

'This is the ideal solution to the ever-increasing challenges of mobility versus environmental protection and we think busy urban areas will be the car's favourite playground. It is one of the key elements in our aim to reduce our environmental footprint and dependence on fossil fuels," said a spokesman.

'With four doors and four seats, a compact length and a tight turning circle, the iOn will be well suited to use in congested city centres. And with a top speed of 80mph, it will have all the performance it needs to compare with a car powered by a small internal combustion engine.'

The car's lithium-ion batteries will provide an 80-mile range on a six-hour charge and a special fast top-up charge taking 30 minutes is sufficient to restore 80 per cent of power.