Volkswagen has confirmed that an updated version of its e-Up! city car will make its debut at next week’s Frankfurt Motor Show.
Volkswagen stopped selling its electric city car – the brand’s very first EV – earlier this year, but it was always thought that the German manufacturer was gearing up for the launch of a new model.
This has now been confirmed, with the e-Up! set to use the same underpinnings as its mechanically-identical siblings from other VW Group firms – the Skoda Citigo and Seat Mii. Electric versions of both those cars were revealed earlier this year.
The updated e-Up! is not likely to receive any major styling changes – the main difference being its underpinnings. Thanks to a larger 32.3kWh battery (up from 18.7kWh), the e-Up! is now able to travel 161 miles on a full charge – a sharp rise over the last car’s 99-mile range.
It’s also able to charge at a 40kW rate, meaning that by using a rapid charger its batteries will be able to be topped up to 80 per cent from near-flat in an hour.
The 82bhp electric motor remains the same – enabling a 0-60mph time of 11.7 seconds and a top speed of 81mph.
As with the Skoda and Seat models, the connectivity of the e-Up! is set to improve, with buyers set to be able to check the status of their car remotely though a ‘maps + more’ smartphone app. This will be a standard feature, as will Bluetooth, air-conditioning and lane keep assist. More personalisation options will be offered, compared to before, too.
Volkswagen has not confirmed prices for the new e-Up!, though a Volkswagen spokesman said it will start from “around £23,000 before the £3,500 electric car grant”. First deliveries are expected at the start of 2020.
The updated e-Up! will be unveiled next week alongside VW’s eagerly-anticipated ID.3 – its first standalone EV model.
