Photo: Stefan Baldauf / Guido ten Brink
The Renault Twizy doesn’t qualify as a passenger car, and thus, customers in the market for an EV on the small side can opt for the e-up! from Volkswagen. The 2020 model year is a revision of the existing city dweller, now packing 260 kilometers (162 miles) of range from a 32.3-kWh battery pack.
That’s 13.6 kWh more than before, which makes the e-up! a whole lot better than the smart EQ fortwo and EQ forfour. When plugged into a 40-kW fast charger, the newcomer can recover 80 percent in an hour.
Up front is where the electric motor does its job, providing 61 kW (83 PS or 82 horsepower) to the wheels. The 210 Nm (155 pound-feet) of instantaneous torque translates to 11.9 seconds from naught to 100 km/h (62 mph), and top speed is rated at 130 km/h (81 mph). Given that the United Kingdom and continental Europe are limited at 70 mph and 130 km/h on the motorway, the e-up! is capable of managing high-speed travel without breaking a sweat.
Want to talk about standard equipment? A DAB radio and Bluetooth connectivity are included, complemented by lane-departure warning, automatic air conditioning, and the Maps + More smartphone integration system instead of a touchscreen infotainment system. This cost-cutting measure isn’t the only one you’ll find inside the e-up!, which features the kind of plastic trim you wouldn’t find in the Golf 7.5. Nevertheless, don’t forget that Volkswagen wants 21,975 euros for this cutesy thing before the plug-in car grant.
In other words, the environmental bonus from the German government and a gross subsidy from Volkswagen bring the purchase price down to 17,595 euros. British customers are recommended to look forward to 19,500 pounds sterling after the government grant, which is great bang for the buck given unless you’re prepared to get the 2020 Renault Zoe with a battery lease.
Volkswagen has also brought the ID.3 and ID.4 to the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show, and as you might’ve noticed, the e-up! doesn’t feature any ID. branding whatsoever. That’s because the MEB vehicle architecture is crucial to the automaker’s electric offensive while the e-up! still utilizes the NSF (New Small Family platform) that’s also known as the Typ AA and PQ12.
The SEAT Mii and Skoda Citigo are the two other group models underpinned by the NSF.
Up front is where the electric motor does its job, providing 61 kW (83 PS or 82 horsepower) to the wheels. The 210 Nm (155 pound-feet) of instantaneous torque translates to 11.9 seconds from naught to 100 km/h (62 mph), and top speed is rated at 130 km/h (81 mph). Given that the United Kingdom and continental Europe are limited at 70 mph and 130 km/h on the motorway, the e-up! is capable of managing high-speed travel without breaking a sweat.
Want to talk about standard equipment? A DAB radio and Bluetooth connectivity are included, complemented by lane-departure warning, automatic air conditioning, and the Maps + More smartphone integration system instead of a touchscreen infotainment system. This cost-cutting measure isn’t the only one you’ll find inside the e-up!, which features the kind of plastic trim you wouldn’t find in the Golf 7.5. Nevertheless, don’t forget that Volkswagen wants 21,975 euros for this cutesy thing before the plug-in car grant.
In other words, the environmental bonus from the German government and a gross subsidy from Volkswagen bring the purchase price down to 17,595 euros. British customers are recommended to look forward to 19,500 pounds sterling after the government grant, which is great bang for the buck given unless you’re prepared to get the 2020 Renault Zoe with a battery lease.
Volkswagen has also brought the ID.3 and ID.4 to the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show, and as you might’ve noticed, the e-up! doesn’t feature any ID. branding whatsoever. That’s because the MEB vehicle architecture is crucial to the automaker’s electric offensive while the e-up! still utilizes the NSF (New Small Family platform) that’s also known as the Typ AA and PQ12.
The SEAT Mii and Skoda Citigo are the two other group models underpinned by the NSF.
Google News