Three-quarters of the UK's long-distance lovers could make the journey to meet each other this Valentine's Day in an electric vehicle (EV) without having to stop to recharge.

That is according to research from the romantics at Peugeot, timed to coincide with both the annual celebration of all things romantic and the launch of the French firm's new Peugeot e-208.

The electric vehicle (EV), which features a 50kWh battery and 136hp electric motor, has a range of up to 217 miles under WLTP guidelines, Peugeot said.

Three quarters of long-distance couples in the UK live less than 200 miles from each other, Peugeot's research shows, placing them within easy range of a single-charge trip.

Going electric would also save on fuel costs, the study shows. The UK's long-distance couples live an average of 145 miles apart. Over this distance, petrol and diesel drivers spend an average of £16.50 and £14.90 respectively per return visit. In Peugeot's e-208 EV, a 145-mile journey would use 33.4kWh of electricity, costing £5.18 when recharging through a home charge point - enabling partners to save more than £200 over the course of a year of weekly journeys.

Peugeot is also promoting the car's launch through a partnership with public charging network Polar Plus.

"Electric cars could be the solution for three-quarters of all long-distance couples in the UK," said David Peel, Peugeot UK managing director. "To help keep driving costs even lower, Peugeot is collaborating with Polar Plus, the UK's largest public charging network, to give new Peugeot electric or plug-in Hybrid drivers a six-month free subscription to the Polar Plus network." 

Around 65 per cent of Polar Plus' charging stations are free to use for subscribers, meaning Peugeot drivers will have access to free electricity from more than 4,500 charging stations around the country. At payable stations, drivers pay per kWh used, starting from 12p per kWh. 

A third of long-distance couples have had to postpone or cancel a visit because of cost, Peugeot's research shows, so switching to the firm's latest EV model could help them cut costs - assuming, that is, they can cover the £28,550 starting price for a new vehicle.