While the highlight at VW’s stand of the Frankfurt
Motor Show is the new ID.3, the German car maker also brought the updated
version of the e-Up, the battery-electric variant of its popular city car.
The new e-Up may not look that different, but the
upgrades are more than enough to grasp your attention. That’s because VW
ditched the old, 18.7 kWh battery pack in favor of a larger 32.3 kWh one,
making the tiny electric car capable of travelling up to 260 km on
a full charge per the WLTP cycle.
Usually, this sort of upgrade comes with a price
premium, but Wolfsburg actually reduced the price of its smallest EV, which now
starts from € 21,975 in Germany, before subsidies, making it € 1,595 cheaper than
its predecessor.
Power comes from an electric motor with 82 HP, which sends the 2020 e-Up to 100 km/h from a standstill in 11.9
seconds, half a second faster than the previous model. Top speed is still
capped at 130 km/h. The new battery is also compatible with DC fast-charging, allowing
users to get it up to 80 percent in just one hour when plugged to a 40kW
socket.
VW is also launching a special deal for its smallest
EV during this pre-sales phase: customers who wish to secure one of the first
examples of the between September 18 and October 31 will get the opportunity to
lease it for just 159 euros per month.
Seat and Skoda have also introduced the electric
versions of the Up’s siblings at Frankfurt, which feature the same electric
powertrain and driving range.
