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Volkswagen e-up! Getting More Range At 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show

In addition to the ID. family of models, Volkswagen plans to re-engineer the e-up! with more range for 2020. “The market below will be captured by a fabulous e-up! with an extended range that will be shown to you at Frankfurt,” commented Jurgen Stackmann.
Volkswagen e-up! 6 photos
Photo: Volkswagen
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The sales and marketing boss didn’t go into detail, but nevertheless, expect more than 99 miles of range. Speaking to Auto Express, he made it clear that Volkswagen is “working to give a second life to the e-up! – it has a big role to play in the next three to four years.” The question is, what role is so big that only the A-segment electric hatchback can achieve?

Given the size and affordable price point of the e-up!, Volkswagen expects its smallest electric vehicle to steal sales away from more expensive models in higher segments. That’s right, ladies and gentlemen; Volkswagen is thinking about maximizing volume once again!

Another reason is maximizing profit. Stackmann claims “a normal combustion engine is just impossible to reach the required CO2 levels. So, in theory, you’d have to sell an electric car to compensate for the problem of an up! where the margin is already thin.” In other words, Wolfsburg is “focusing on the e-up! going forwards” to the detriment of internal combustion.

Isn’t it curious how the automaker who cheated emissions tests is now focused on electric vehicles? This change of heart shouldn’t come as a surprise given how stringent the legislators are with emissions regulations. For example, the 2020 Range Rover Evoque with the D150 engine, front-wheel drive, and the six-speed manual is the only SUV in the premium compact segment that complies to the RDE2 emissions standards.

Stackmann highlights “the e-up! will not become part of VW’s new ID. range of electric vehicles” because Volkswagen can’t switch the car to the MEB vehicle architecture.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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