Volkswagen unveiled at the EV-rich 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show the 2nd model evolution of the e-up! (accompanied with its derivatives Škoda CITIGOe iV and SEAT Mii Electric), an entry-level, small city EV for four.
The new version is quite similar to the previous one, but at a significantly lower price tag of €21,975 ($24,271) before incentives (in Germany) and with a 36.8 kWh battery pack (32.3 kWh usable) for up to 260 km (162 miles) of WLTP range, it's simply a way more attractive offer.
Upgrade of the e-up! was actually a necessity these days, as competition moves forward quickly as well. Moreover, it was a good opportunity because now the e-up! is available also under Škoda and SEAT brands.
Will the new e-up! sell in significant volume? It's too early to judge, but at least it supports the outgoing Volkswagen e-Golf before the Volkswagen ID.3 comes in in mid-2020. Let's check the latest photos and videos from the show.
New Volkswagen e-up! specs:
- 36.8 kWh battery pack (32.3 kWh usable)
- up to 260 km (162 miles) of WLTP range
- 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 11.9 seconds
- top speed of 130 km/h (81 mph)
- front-wheel-drive
- 61 kW and 212 Nm electric motor
- 0-80% fast charging in 60 minutes (40 kW DC Combo 2)
Gallery: Volkswagen e-up! at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show
Gallery: Volkswagen e-up!
Little money, large range The e-up!
is the ideal car for the city and commuters alike: up to 260 kilometers of practical range are possible thanks to the greater energy content of the battery. But this is by no means the only incentive to buy the car ...
Electric mobility has never been so attractive. With the new generation of its e-up!1, Volkswagen combines a long range with a low price. The attractive initial leasing rate should be particularly interesting for many customers: from September 18 to October 31, 2019, the e-up! can be leased for only 159 Euros
per month.
Space miracle with room for four people
For city dwellers and commuters, the e-up! is a real emission-free alternative to the combustion engine. Thanks to a new battery system, the agile small car scores with a significantly higher range. What’s remarkable is that despite its compact dimensions, the e-up! is an absolutely versatile car with room for four people.
The leap in range is made possible by new battery cells with significantly higher energy density. The energy content of the batteries increases from a net 18.7 to 32.3kWh. The expected consumption of 12.7kWh/100km results in a practical range of 260 kilometers. This means that the new e-up! can be comfortably used covering almost all urban daily distances.
Affordable E-mobility
And even a stopover for recharging is not a big problem: the charging times of the batteries are short: with a charging power of 40kW, the batteries can be recharged to an 80 percent level within one hour. With the e-up!, range anxiety is a thing of the past. And the e-up! driver doesn’t have to worry about the battery technology: Volkswagen offers an eight-year guarantee or 160,000 kilometers on the batteries. The standard “maps + more” app allows charging to be started, stopped and programmed via smartphone. The same applies to the standard stationary air-conditioning system of the e-up!.
And that’s not all: In addition to the ecological advantages of an electric car, potential buyers can enjoy a lower price than with the predecessor model. The basic price is 21,975 euros (before subsidies).The favorable price was realized by the economies of scale of the large series. Volkswagen will now be offering more electric cars than ever before. According to forecasts, the volume of the four-door e-up! will also increase significantly compared to its predecessor.
Promotion of e-mobility
E-mobility is promoted in many places. In Germany, buyers of an e-up! receive an environmental bonus of 2,000 euros from the state and a subsidy of 2,380 euros from Volkswagen. In addition, employees who use an e-up! as a company car only pay a monthly tax rate of 0.5 percent of the new vehicle price instead of 1.0 percent.
Full of torque – full of driving pleasure
Sustainable, affordable – and very sporty: e-up! also offers plenty of driving fun. On the one hand – due to the batteries in the vehicle floor – this is due to its low center of gravity. On the other hand, the 61kW/83PS strong electric motor provides full torque from a standing start. In 11.9 seconds, the urban runabout accelerates to 100km/h; reaching a top speed of 130km/h.
In addition to “maps + more” as a docking station and multifunctional app, the standard equipment on board includes automatic climate control, the “composition phone” radio system with Bluetooth interface and DAB+ as well as the “Lane Assist” lane departure warning system. If this equipment is not enough for you, you can get the e-up! Style, offering even more special features.
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