VW and Varta Join Forces for Electric Car Batteries

Volkswagen will sign an agreement with Varta Microbattery GmbH to supply batteries that will be used in electric vehicles manufactured by the German brand in the next few years. VW said in a release that two companies will work together on the development of lithium-ion batteries that will provide increased autonomy at a lower cost.

According to Reuters, the agreement is currently on hold as it waits the final approval from the German Cartel Office.

Volkswagen presented at the Frankfurt Auto Show the E-Up!, an electric concept powered by a 80 hp electric motor connected to an 18 kWh lithium-ion battery. Dimensions of the E-Up! are 3.19 meters (length) x 1.64 meters (width) x 1.47 meters (height). Its wheelbase is 2.19 meters.

The car is a 3+1 seater that releases 210 Nm of torque. The electric concept is able to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 11.3 seconds, while reaching 50 km/h in 3.5 seconds. The battery can be recharged via a 230-Volt household outlet, with approximately 80 percent of the capacity to be restored in one hour.

"The E-Up! is characterized by a reduced, very clear and yet highly emotional design. The new concept is therefore very much in harmony with its stylistic ‘siblings’ of the New Small Family, the Roadster BlueSport and the new Polo," Klaus Bischoff, Chief Designer of Volkswagen Brand, said.

Volkswagen is also working on some electric models for the United States, but it's still unclear whether the cars will be based on the E-Up! concept.

"The reason we are working on an electric vehicle is the American market," Ulrich Hackenberg, board member in charge of product development at Volkswagen AG, confirmed last week.