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Peugeot ION Hatchback 5dr Electric Auto (64 bhp)

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Details

  • Make: Peugeot
  • Milage: 52230 Miles
  • Year: 2012
  • Model: Ion
  • Transmission: Automatic
  • Fuel: Electric

Description

This car has been just great for conscience-free trips into local towns and cities, and I've owned it since 2014, having been bought at exactly 2 years old. Of course there are compromises with an EV of this age, the major one being range. I have made longer journeys and very occasionally charged up en-route, but 95% of my journeys have been there and back on a single charge. A change in personal circumstances now means it makes no sense to have 2 vehicles as I'm just not using it as once I did, so it's time for Buzz to go. In winter time the range is much less, say just ~20 to 30 miles, summer time it's ~35 to 45+ miles. Back in 2016 I fitted a Webasto Thermotop 2000 heater (a real one, not a Chinese copy) back in 2016, following advice from others on-line who had made similar modifications. The big 12V lead-acid battery was removed and replaced with a much smaller 12V AGM battery, and the heater fitted in the space released. It's a water heater and is plumbed into the cars own cooling + heating system so just sends heated water from the Webasto through the system to blow warm air into all the places that the car normally uses. It's fed from a 2 litre fuel "tank" under the bonnet which needs to be filled up every 2 or 3 main battery charges and, once started keeps the interior and windscreen toasty warm and clear respectively, even when it's freezing outside. There's a dedicated Webasto timer that when triggered keeps the heating on for 30 minutes before shutting it down automatically, although of course you can switch it on again. It makes a huge difference to the car in winter, even better if you can keep it in a garage as it takes less time to warm it up. I have all the "paperwork" (actually lots of digital and photos and drawings etc) which logs the fitting and later development of the heater, but there isn't a manual that explains all these things in simple terms! Despite this, it's worked flawlessly for the last 7 or 8 years.Buzz has been used a lot and whilst the interior is pretty tidy, the exterior does have marks and small dings. Given the background to this vehicle, it's inevitable that Buzz may be better suited to someone with some technical experience, but since this was my background, I guess I would say this. I do feel it could be a great way to learn about keeping and driving an early battery EV without freezing in the winter. Next MOT due 26/09/2025, Silver, 2 owners, £2,100