Peugeot is putting on a show at CES. Las Vegas's Consumer Electronics Show is the perfect place for many companies and manufacturers to take advantage of the opportunity to unveil their new products, especially those at the forefront of electric vehicles. After a few standout EV presentations, (the BMW i Vision Dee, the Volkswagen ID.7 and, most surprisingly, the Afeela from Sony Honda Mobility), it was Peugeot's turn to unveil its brand-new all-electric concept, the Peugeot Inception.
The Inception's refined design is a new development for Peugeot, and marks a direction that the brand will officially introduce on all its models from 2025. Five metres long and 1.34m high, the Inception is based on the STLA Large platform and offers a front end that modernises Peugeot's current lookbook, including a plunging windshield and a much more linear, futuristic rear aspect.
The exterior design offers an elegant continuity of look, with a seamless aesthetic, particularly around the doors. Innovations include metallic pigments, which allow the body to change colour depending on the environment, Narima glass that can reflect heat and ultraviolet radiation, and a tech bar running along the exterior sides that displays information (like battery level) to the car's approaching owner.
Sitting in the driver's seat – more a mini cockpit – your eyes are immediately drawn to the steering wheel, or ‘Hypersquare’, which has an atypical appearance, to say the least. The rather imposing rectangular shape is bookended by holes at each end, either for controlling the car's raft of features or for holding four very tightly closed water bottles – it's a choice that, we hope, won't go beyond the concept. Happily, the level four autonomous driving that's integrated into the car solves the problem by retracting the wheel. Out of sight, out of mind.
The rest of the cockpit (or ‘i-Cockpit’, according to Peugeot), does away with the traditional dashboard, crossbar and bulkhead, which combines with the impressive glasswork to provide a completely open view of the road.
The Inception is really more than just a concept: Peugeot decided to equip it with working motors, offering a glimpse of its future potential. The 100 kWh battery allows the EV to travel just under 500 miles on a single charge at an impressive 12.5kWh per 100km. The two compact electric motors (front and rear) make the Inception a four-wheel drive, combining to reach almost 680bhp and punch the car from 0-62mph in under three seconds. No need for a clunky electric wire to recharge, either, as the Inception includes wireless induction charging, capable of adding 19 miles of range in one minute, or 93 miles in five minutes.
Like many carmakers around the world, Peugeot is slowly moving towards all-electric power for its vehicles, as Linda Jackson, the brand's CEO, explains: “Peugeot is committed to the electrification of its range. In 2023, our entire line-up will be electrified and in the next two years, five new 100 per cent electric models will be launched. Our ambition is simple: to make Peugeot the leading electric brand in Europe by 2030.” Europe is the brand's next big focus: it aims to reduce its carbon footprint on the continent by more than 50 per cent by 2030, and to become fully Carbon Net Zero by 2038. With a concept car as beautiful as the Inception, it's on the right track.
