Volkswagen is busy preparing for the impending release of it’s first all electric car, the Volkswagen e-up!
VW claims the car to be near silent while able to carry up to four occupants. The e-up! was first displayed back in 2009 to a surprised world.
The VW e-up! is being introduced at a time when eyes are being drawn to electric motoring in general, with new car releases being made by the world’s most well known automotive companies who have, up until now, relied upon internal combustion powered vehicles.
The e-up! will make its show debut at the International Autoshow in Frankfurt, Germany and following this will become available to order shortly thereafter. First UK customer deliveries are expected to take place from early 2014.
The e-up! features a very usable driving range of around 90 miles (150 km) and offers everyday practicality with 4 seats while charging times can be fast using rapid chargers giving 80% charge within 30 minutes from a flat battery.
Designed as a car for city driving and commuting, the Volkswagen see the e-up! as an ideal second car.
The e-up! is powered by an electric motor with 60 kW / 82 PS peak power – without any disturbing gearshift interruptions or powertrain noise. Its continuous power is 40 kW / 55 PS. Its maximum torque of 210 Newton metres is available almost immediately. The VW e-up! accelerates from 0 to 62mph (100 km/h) in a rather lackadaisical 14 seconds yet reaches a relatively decent top speed of 84mph (135 km/h) – ample for city use. Interestingly enough, when VW first announced the e-up! acceleration figures of 0-62mph were stated as taking a mere 11.3 seconds.
The e-up! is equipped with a lithium-ion battery which is integrated in the underfloor area giving excellent low-centre of gravity weight distribution for decent cornering. The battery has a total energy storage capacity of 18.7 Kilowatt-hours (kWh); giving the e-up! power to cover up to 90miles (150 km) on a single charge. Volkswagen have taken care not to allow the weight of the batteries to make the up! base become cumbersome, keeping the e-up!’s weight at a lowly 1,185 kg.
As an option, Volkswagen have included the Combined Charging System (CCS), which has been standardised by Volkswagen and other carmakers and can be plugged in via the ‘fuel filling flap’ where the charging port for is located. It supports both DC and AC charging, so drivers can easily charge their cars at most charging stations – regardless of the power sources or charging rates they may offer.
Although based on the fossil-fuel powered up!, the styling of the e-up! has been subtly enhanced including the curved layout of the LED daytime running lights in the front bumper and the front end, sills and underbody have been aerodynamically optimised.
As can be found on most electric cars, accents of blue have been added across the whole vehicle including blue backgrounded VW badges, blue stitching of the seats and blue tones used in the centre console screen and instrument cluster. Aside from subtle visual touches, the e-up! features machine-polished 15-inch alloy wheels which set it apart from other models.
