Volkswagen e-Up!

 

Volkswagen officially announced it is now accepting orders for the e-Up! in Germany, with the model returning after a 14-month hiatus. VW had stopped accepting orders for the e-Up! since the end of 2020, so they could process the “high order backlog” which at some point had increased delivery times up to 16 months. Production of the EV continued throughout 2021 and now the automaker is in a position to reopen the order books in Germany, with a gradual roll-out to other European markets following soon.

The e-Up! is exclusively available in the Style Plus trim with standard equipment including the 15-inch “Blade” alloy wheels, Climatronic air conditioning, leather multifunction steering wheel, and Lane Assist. The electric motor is producing 82 hp and 210 Nm of torque, while the 32.2 kWh battery which supports 40 kW DC rapid charging allows for an electric range of 260 km). The VW e-Up! Style Plus has a list price of € 26,895 (US$ 30,575) in Germany, translating to € 17,325 when you add the local government incentives for EVs. This makes it the most affordable electric car in Volkswagen’s range, although it is more expensive than the rival Fiat 500 which starts at € 23,560 (US$ 26,777) in Germany before incentives. Speaking of affordable EVs there is also the smart EQ fortwo starting at € 21,940 (US$ 24,939), and the even cheaper Dacia Spring starting at € 20,490 (US$ 23,291).

 

Since its debut back in 2013, VW has sold more than 80,000 units of the e-Up. The city car received a facelift in 2016 and a more important technical update in 2019 with the addition of a larger battery increasing its range from 160 km to 260 km. Τhe vast majority of the total sales occurred in Germany last year, with 30,800 deliveries making it the second most popular EV in its home market for 2021. VW will likely keep offering the e-Up! for a few more years as we are waiting for its successor. Speaking of which, the MEB-based ID.2 is expected to arrive by 2025 as the production version of the ID.Life concept becoming the new entry-point in VW’s electric range.