VW E-Up! spy shots
VW E-Up! spy shots All-electric city car spotted testing ahead of its 2013 on sale date
This is the Volkswagen E-Up!, it’s new baby electric car which our spy snappers have caught testing ahead of its debut in two years time.
Don’t be fooled by what you see in the pictures, as VW has clothed the development mule in a shortened skin from the previous-generation Polo. Closer inspection reveals what’s underneath, where a lack of exhausts, plus a BlueMotion-style blanked-off grille, betray the electric-only underpinnings of the car.
Drawing inspiration from the concept car of the same name which appeared at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, the E-Up! aims to offer cheap, zero-emissions motoring in a small but practical body. Power will come from a series of lithium-ion batteries located under the floor, which will produce 60kW (80bhp) and 210Nm of twist. This will endow the E-Up! with a range of up to 80 miles, while a quick charge can replenish 80 per cent of the batteries’ capacity within an hour.
Electric power aside, key to the appeal of the E-Up! will be an innovative interior which will feature a 3+1 seating configuration to maximise space. Volkswagen wants to make the car as cheap as possible, which means basic features will take pride of place.
For punters attracted to the car’s packaging but would rather do without electric power, VW is also launching a more conventional Up! model, which will share the looks and interior of the E-Up! but with a front-mounted petrol feeding power to the front wheels. Entry to the range will cost £7,000 when it goes on sale in 2013.
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