Peugeot Partner Electric van (2013-2019) interior & comfort

If you’re looking for style from an electric van, then you’ve come to the wrong place – the Peugeot Partner Electric is pure commercial vehicle in its aesthetic, with hard-wearing plastics, easy-clean cloth seat trim and plenty of painted metal surfaces on show. While it’s definitely functional, it’s no more utilitarian than rivals the Renault Kangoo Z.E. and Nissan e-NV200.

The one advantage the Partner Electric has over these two models is its standard three-abreast Multi-Flex seating arrangement. This creates a 1+2 seat layout up front, with the driver getting their own chair and a double seat next to it for two passengers. Due to the Partner’s narrow width, the two passenger seats will be cosy with a couple of builders sat side-by-side, but at least it gives you the option of driving three-up if you need it. If you don’t need the middle chair, you can fold down the seat back to create a desk space.

Peugeot Partner Electric van dashboard

The instrument cluster in the Partner Electric is largely identical to that of the diesel van. The main difference is that the rev counter has been replaced by a power indicator, while the two smaller gauges between it and the speedometer show battery capacity and how much power the electric motor is supplying when you use the accelerator. There’s also an orange dot-matrix trip computer display below, but this looks rather old-fashioned.

Equipment, options and accessories

There’s a solitary trim level on offer (SE), but it’s better equipped in Electric guise than if you bought a Partner diesel SE. Air-conditioning is standard, while a plastic floor lining is also included and you can have white or red paint as standard, too.

Options are limited, but there’s silver or dark metallic grey paint, and you can add power-folding mirrors, rear parking sensors, glazed rear doors, two types of bulkhead to divide the cabin from the cargo area, a Bluetooth connection, front passenger and side airbags, body-coloured exterior trim and a full-size spare wheel. And of course there’s the option of L1 or L2 body styles, with the latter getting an extended rear end to create an extra 400 cubic centimetres of load space.

Infotainment, apps & sat nav

The Peugeot Partner Electric gets a very basic stereo. There’s an orange dot-matrix display for the radio, which receives FM and AM stations only, while a CD player is also included. If you want to upgrade the infotainment, Peugeot offers a colour touchscreen with DAB radio, Bluetooth and a USB socket for just under £500, but it doesn’t feature sat nav and doesn’t support app-based charging assistance.