Peugeot started selling its all-new 208 in Europe this month and the first signs are promising, especially for the fully-electric e-208 variant.

The French automaker initially expected e-208 production to make up approximately 10 percent of the overall production of its new 208 supermini. However, early demand for the electric vehicle suggests its slice of the pie could be much bigger.

“Of the 40,000 qualified leads we received, half were for the e-208. A quarter of the pre-orders we got are for the e-208,” Peugeot CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato told Autonews Europe. While the executive said it is too soon to anticipate much higher sales for the Peugeot e-208, he admitted the strong initial demand could be partly due to a high percentage of early adopters.

Also read: Peugeot 208 Is A Looker, But Loses Some Of Its Appeal In Base Trim

2020 Peugeot 208 and e-208

As things stand right now, he believes the electric model could reach a double share of the 208 overall mix than initially expected. “My work is based on facts and the only fact right now is that we can take the e-208 up to 20 percent of the new 208’s production of about 300,000 units a year,” Imparato said.

That would be a major achievement since the e-208 will be profitable even at the current planned 10 percent of overall 208 sales, according to Peugeot’s boss. The Peugeot e-208 features a 50-kWh battery that offers a driving range of 211 miles (340 km) WLTP. A 100 kW (134 HP / 136 PS) electric motor that produces 192 lb-ft (260 Nm) of instant torque enables the electric supermini to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 8.1 seconds.

2020 Peugeot e-208

The Peugeot e-208 starts at €32,100 (approximately $35,200) in France and £25,050 ($30,800) in the UK. To lure buyers, the automaker is focusing on the car’s total cost of ownership, which Peugeot says is the same as the 130 PS (128 HP) 1.2-liter turbo petrol model equipped with an 8-speed automatic transmission.

For example, a Peugeot e-208 is estimated to cost less than €400 ($440) a month across Europe, after a €3,500 ($3,800) deposit.

Peugeot e-208 EV Takes 25 Percent Of New Model’s Pre-Orders
Peugeot e-208 EV Takes 25 Percent Of New Model’s Pre-Orders
Peugeot e-208 EV Takes 25 Percent Of New Model’s Pre-Orders
Peugeot e-208 EV Takes 25 Percent Of New Model’s Pre-Orders
Peugeot e-208 EV Takes 25 Percent Of New Model’s Pre-Orders
Peugeot e-208 EV Takes 25 Percent Of New Model’s Pre-Orders
Peugeot e-208 EV Takes 25 Percent Of New Model’s Pre-Orders
Peugeot e-208 EV Takes 25 Percent Of New Model’s Pre-Orders
Peugeot e-208 EV Takes 25 Percent Of New Model’s Pre-Orders
Peugeot e-208 EV Takes 25 Percent Of New Model’s Pre-Orders