Back in 2009 Volkswagen debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show what might someday be its first true electric production car for the consumer masses.
Dubbed the e-up! at the time, VW projected forward and estimated it might be ready by 2013. Well, here it is four years later and, true to what it said, the new electric vehicle is ready for urban streets.
The VW e-up!, which debuted just recently at the German automaker’s Annual Press and Investors Conference, is a compact four seater design estimated to have a driving range of up to 150 km, or around 93 miles. That’s a bump up from the 2009 design, which was projected for around 80 miles. It has a top speed as well of 130 km/hr, or around 80 MPH, which keeps in line with the original idea.
Noting the car is powered by an electric motor with 60 kW / 82 PS peak power, VW said the e-up! has continuous power is 40 kW / 55 PS and a maximum torque of 210 Newton meters. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h, or 0 to 60 MPH, within 13 seconds. Its lithium-ion battery is integrated in the underfloor area has a total energy storage capacity of 18.7 Kilowatt-hours (kWh) and can be recharged to as much as 80 per cent of power capacity within 30 minutes, depending upon what type of charger you are using.
Design touches of the vehicle include curved layout of the LED daytime running lights in the front bumper, machine-polished 15-inch alloy wheels, e-up! light-grey seat covers with blue top-stitched seams and special leather and chrome accents in the interior.
Keeping with coming full circle from 2009, the e-up! will make its formal public debut at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, followed by being publicly available for sale shortly thereafter. It looks as if it will not be available in North America, though. Come on Volkswagen, what’s e-up with that?
