Why Stellantis' STLA Medium Platform Should Make Range Champ EVs

Stellantis tested the Peugeot E-3008, whose WLTP range is 435 miles, in a long-distance drive at highway speeds. The car needed two charging stops to complete the 580-mile journey from Paris to Nice. Stellantis touts the long-range capabilities of vehicles built on its STLA Medium platform.

Stellantis isn’t doing all that great this year. Sales are down, competition from China is brutal in Europe, layoffs are underway in the U.S. and revenue dropped nearly 30% in the third quarter of 2024. But the firm, which owns 14 iconic automotive brands including Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram, says it is still preparing for the future with one of the best long-distance EV platforms in the business.

To prove how good its STLA Medium platform is at covering extended stretches of open road, the manufacturer took one of its Peugeot E-3008 electric crossovers and drove it from Paris to Nice. That’s around 580 miles (932 km), which the Peugeot drove at a constant 80.7 mph (130 km/h), sticking to the speed limit on French highways. The outside temperature for the whole journey hovered around 68°F (20°C), which is close to optimal for a modern EV with a lithium-ion battery pack.

The car only needed two charging stops to get from Paris to Nice. For the first leg of the trip, the E-3008 stopped after 211 miles (340 km) after averaging 2.6 miles/kWh. The second time, it stopped after 227 miles (366 km) with an average electricity consumption of 3.34 miles/kWh. The final leg was also the shortest at 143 miles (231 km) during which the car achieved 3.07 miles/kWh.

Stellantis didn’t share details about how much or how quickly the car charged during the stops or how long the entire trip took.

Efficiency and range tend to fall off a cliff if you drive an EV at high speed for long, which is why we find 70 mph range tests more relevant than the manufacturer-claimed numbers to the people who actually drive these cars, especially to those who do a lot of highway miles. The quicker you drive an EV, the faster the battery drains, so the fact that the electric Peugeot managed over 200 miles at 80 mph is a strong result even if it falls short of the manufacturer's claim.

Stellantis says its STLA Medium platform enables vehicles to drive up to 435 miles (701 km) on a single charge. That’s exactly the claimed WLTP range for the Peugeot E-3008 with the larger of the two available batteries, a 98-kilowatt-hour pack. It boasts pretty good efficiency numbers too, with a claimed electricity consumption of 4.4 miles/kWh based on the WLTP claim.

According to Chief Engineering and Technology Officer at Stellantis, Ned Curic, “the STLA Medium platform’s long-range capability makes it ideal for long-distance travel without compromising on the convenience and efficiency of a BEV. Drivers can now enjoy extended trips with fewer charging stops, delivering both performance and peace of mind.”

The same platform also underpins the larger three-row Peugeot E-5008 crossover, as well as the Opel Grandland. Stellantis wants to add five more models built on STLA Medium by 2026, one of which will be a new flagship fastback for the ailing Lancia brand.

While the U.S. shouldn't expect any electric Peugeots anytime soon, or probably ever, we will see the fruits of the STLA Medium platform. It is expected to power several future Chrysler and Jeep vehicles.