Peugeot E-T16, an electric rocket disguised as an eighties car

Peugeot has waited for the Paris Motor Show to reveal one of its best-kept secrets, the brand-new electric prototype E-T16. This vehicle is, in reality, a conceptual prototype that aims to pay tribute to the legendary Peugeot 205 T16, a rally car that conquered the world rally championships in the years 1985 and 1986 in the Group B category.

Unlike the original model from the 80s of the last century, the new Peugeot E-T16 is an electric car powered by three electric motors that add up to 816 hp of power to become the most powerful car in Peugeot's history. The Peugeot E-T16 platform places two electric motors on the rear wheels and one on the front axle, and thanks to its incredible power it is capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 in just 2.5 seconds and reaching 300 km/h in 16 seconds. Truly stratospheric figures that intend to warn the general public of Peugeot's potential and future intentions.

From a technical point of view, this Peugeot E-T16 is a fantasy exercise, as it debuts a torque vectoring system that allows for maximum dynamism and traction at all times, three driving modes that modify power delivery, suspension stiffness and engine response, and a hydraulic handbrake ideal for drifting left and right, very similar to those used by current rally cars.

The new electric sports car from Peugeot also incorporates a battery cooling system via the side walls (lateral cooling) instead of the base, to optimize performance and prevent it from being affected by high temperatures. It also incorporates an 800-volt electric architecture platform, and thanks to its 85 kWh capacity batteries, it should be able to offer a range of over 400 kilometers (much less if driven in competition mode). Finally, this E-T16 can charge its batteries from 10% to 80% in less than 15 minutes, and the brand strives to point out that this rocket disguised as a utility vehicle would be a very suitable vehicle for daily use.

However, it is very possible that Peugeot will never manufacture this E-T16, which does not mean that it is not the aesthetic and technological starting point for the new batch of Peugeot electric vehicles. In fact, the French brand points out that the E-T16 advances the aesthetic line and design style of the future electric Peugeot 208.