In Belgium, the disadvantages of an electric car that really weigh are the purchase price, the cost of fast charging, motorway range and, on some models, a ban on towing. On a Peugeot e-208 set against the petrol 208, the price gap reaches €13,150, and a fast charger without a subscription costs more than a tank of fuel.
One 208, three powertrains, a single price list
A list of disadvantages that pits a €40,000 electric car against a €20,000 petrol car only measures a difference in class. Peugeot sells the 208 as a petrol, a hybrid and an electric car, with the same 4.06 m body, and publishes all three on a single Belgian price list. So we compare a car with itself, and whatever gap remains is down to the electric drivetrain.
The figures come from Peugeot Belgium's price list and spec sheet, dated July 2025. It is the list still published at that address when I checked on 13 October 2026. Prices may have moved since, and so may dealer discounts. The gap between two versions read off the same document, though, stays comparable.
| Criterion | Petrol 208 1.2 Turbo 100 | e-208 136 hp |
|---|---|---|
| Allure price incl. VAT | €24,265 | €37,415 |
| Gearbox | 6-speed manual | Automatic |
| Power | 100 hp | 136 hp |
| Kerb weight | 1,165 kg | 1,530 kg |
| Range | approx. 830 km | 349 to 363 km WLTP |
| Braked trailer | 1,200 kg | None |
| Rear brakes | Drums | Discs |
| Fiscal horsepower | 7 | 4 |
The petrol range is our own calculation: a 44-litre tank divided by 5.3 litres per 100 km WLTP. On paper, the electric car wins on power, gearbox comfort and tax. It loses on price, weight, range and towing, and those four lines are the ones that decide.
How much more does the electric version cost to buy?
€13,150 in Allure trim, €13,350 in Style.
The e-208 Allure 136 hp is listed at €37,415, the 208 Allure 1.2 Turbo 100 with a manual gearbox at €24,265. The electric car has an automatic gearbox and 36 hp more, so the fairest comparison runs through the Hybrid 110 e-DCS6, also automatic, at €27,965: the gap drops to €9,450, which is still the biggest line in the budget. Peugeot also charges €450 for the heat pump as an option on every e-208, precisely the piece of kit that limits range loss in a Belgian winter. The 156 hp version, with more range, adds another €1,000.
Nobody pays list price, true. But discounts exist on both powertrains, and nothing suggests they cover thirteen thousand euros.
Does fast charging cost more than petrol?
Yes, on a Fastned charger without a subscription: €12.40 per 100 km for the e-208, against €11.16 for the petrol 208 at the maximum price for 95 E10 petrol, set at €2.105 a litre on 13 October 2026 by the FPS Economy (SPF Économie, the federal economy ministry), according to L'Avenir. At home, the balance swings decisively the other way.
I used the upper WLTP consumption of both versions, 16.1 kWh and 5.3 litres per 100 km, to compare two figures measured the same way. For home electricity, these are the price caps published by the CREG (the federal energy regulator) for the third quarter of 2026. For fast charging, Fastned has charged €0.77/kWh without a subscription and €0.54 with one in Belgium since 1 April 2026, according to Automobile Propre.
| Energy | Unit price | Cost per 100 km | Over 15,000 km |
|---|---|---|---|
| 95 E10 petrol, maximum price | €2.105/l | €11.16 | €1,673 |
| Home, Flanders | 32.22 c€/kWh | €5.19 | €778 |
| Home, Brussels | 35.68 c€/kWh | €5.74 | €862 |
| Home, Wallonia | 37.83 c€/kWh | €6.09 | €914 |
| Fastned with subscription | €0.54/kWh | €8.69 | €1,304 excl. subscription |
| Fastned without subscription | €0.77/kWh | €12.40 | €1,860 |
Our own calculation, 13 October 2026. Charged at home, the e-208 saves €760 a year in Wallonia and up to €895 in Flanders. Divide the €13,150 gap by those amounts: it takes 14.7 years in Flanders, 16.2 years in Brussels and 17.3 years in Wallonia for electricity to pay back the price difference. Even adding the €140.45 of annual road tax the electric car saves in Wallonia, you are still at 14.6 years, and I don't know many people who keep a city car that long.
This calculation leaves out maintenance, insurance and resale, and it does not apply to a company car, where the benefit in kind (ATN) changes the whole equation. It says one simple thing to a private buyer: on a small car that does modest mileage, the electric version does not pay for itself through fuel. And anyone without a socket at home pays the disadvantage twice, buying a more expensive car and then charging it at a higher price than petrol. The breakdown of home charging against petrol and the case of Brussels buildings on 3×230 V without neutral complete the picture.
Range and charging time, the disadvantage of departure days
You never plan a petrol fill-up.
The 136 hp e-208 claims 349 to 363 km WLTP, the 156 hp 421 to 433 km. Our e-208 sheet puts real-world range at 220 to 250 km at 120 km/h. Brussels to Arlon on the E411, a little under 200 km, is therefore doable in one go, but in January, with the heating on and a full boot, the margin on arrival gets thin, and the return trip has to be prepared before setting off again. With two children in the back, I always run that calculation before hitting the road. The same 208 in petrol does the round trip without a second thought.
For charging, Peugeot quotes 25 minutes from 20 to 80% on a fast charger. On an 8 A household socket, the same window takes 18 h 45, and 10 h 30 on a 3.2 kW reinforced socket. On a wall charger, one night is enough and the delay bothers nobody during the week. On a plain socket, it isn't. And on the day you leave for the holidays, every stop at a charger adds to the journey.
Can you tow a trailer with an e-208?
No. Peugeot's Belgian spec sheet lists no towing capacity for either e-208, whereas it allows 1,200 kg braked for the petrol 208 and the hybrid alike. The towbar, a €650 option, only appears in the combustion columns of the options list.
For anyone who pulls a trailer to the recycling park or a small caravan in summer, this is the disadvantage that settles it, ahead of price. It is not a rule for electric cars in general: several models are approved for towing, and our guide to towing a trailer with an electric car goes through them. But on a city car, check the "towing capacity" line on the spec sheet before you sign.
365 kg more, paid for in the running gear
The e-208 weighs 1,530 kg in running order, the petrol 208 1,165 kg, which is 31% more. Peugeot even fits discs at the rear of the electric car, where the petrol version makes do with drums. The tyres, the same size on both Allure versions, carry that weight through every bend and wear faster, as our article on tyres for electric cars explains. Regenerative braking does spare the pads, on the other hand.
Which disadvantages are overrated in Belgium?
Tax and maintenance, mainly. The Walloon road tax scale, valid from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026, set €243.41 for the 7 fiscal horsepower petrol 208 and €102.96 for the 4 fiscal horsepower e-208. Since 1 July 2026, the electric car pays €107.18 according to the SPW Finances "Voiture électrique" page (SPW is the Walloon public service). In Flanders, the exemption ended for electric cars registered from 1 January 2026: €61.50 of registration tax (TMC, taxe de mise en circulation) and €102.96 a year, according to FLEET.be.
Sorting it out, once the figures are on the table:
- Annual road tax is not a disadvantage in Wallonia: €140 less a year on the 208, on the same scale.
- The end of the Flemish exemption is real, but it replaces zero with a flat €102.96, not with a combustion-car scale.
- Maintenance is lighter, with no oil change and no clutch, and the maintenance schedule of an electric car shows it item by item.
- Charging in a flat, on the other hand, remains a real trap, especially in Brussels where many buildings offer neither a private space nor a suitable installation.
- The battery worries people more than it costs them day to day, and the warranty thresholds to check are set out in our article on the battery warranty.
Frequently asked questions
What is the biggest disadvantage of an electric car in Belgium?
The purchase price. On the Peugeot 208, the electric version costs €13,150 more than the petrol one in Allure trim, according to Peugeot's Belgian price list. At 15,000 km a year and charging at home, the energy savings take between 14.7 years (Flanders) and 17.3 years (Wallonia) to close that gap, before maintenance and resale.
Is charging an electric car more expensive than filling up with petrol?
At home, no: an e-208 costs €5.19 to €6.09 per 100 km at the CREG (federal energy regulator) price caps for the third quarter of 2026, against €11.16 for the petrol 208. On a Fastned fast charger without a subscription (€0.77/kWh), yes: €12.40 per 100 km. With the subscription the rate drops to €0.54/kWh, or €8.69.
Can you fit a towbar to a Peugeot e-208?
No. Peugeot's Belgian spec sheet lists no towing capacity for the e-208, and the €650 towbar is only offered on the combustion 208s. Other electric cars are approved for towing, but you need to check model by model before buying.
Does an electric car pay more tax in Belgium?
Not in Wallonia: the e-208 (4 fiscal horsepower) paid €102.96 of annual road tax in 2025-2026, the petrol 208 (7 fiscal horsepower) €243.41, and the electric car has paid €107.18 since 1 July 2026. In Flanders, the exemption ended for electric cars registered from 1 January 2026: €61.50 of registration tax (TMC) and €102.96 a year.
Le verdict de Christophe F.
The disadvantages of an electric car are not the ones you hear at the bar. Tax works in its favour, and so does maintenance. The bill lands elsewhere: the gap at purchase, which electricity takes almost fifteen years to pay back on a city car, fast charging without a subscription, which is dearer than petrol, and the lack of a towbar on models like the e-208. If you charge at home, drive a lot and tow nothing, these disadvantages melt away; if not, put the petrol or hybrid version into the comparison tool before you sign.
