New VW e-up! with greater range to be launched at lower price

Volkswagen's new e-up!, which has a lower price and greater range than its predecessor, will be launching at the IAA motor show in Germany.

Costing around £19,720, (or £142 a month on a leasing rate for buyers in Germany), the new e-up! has a range of 161 miles thanks to a rise in the capacity of the batteries from 18.7 kWh to 32.3 kWh.

It takes around 60 minutes to charge the battery to 80 per cent of its capacity with DC (direct current) charging at 40 kW. The charging process can be scheduled in advance, initiated or stopped via smartphone using the standard “maps + more” app. The app can also be used to operate the standard stationary air conditioning system in the e-up!.

The 61-kW electric motor provides maximum torque as soon as the vehicle starts moving, accelerating from 0 to 62mph in  11.9 seconds. The model’s top speed is 80 mph.

The low price for the e-up! is a result of the economies of scale enabled by high production volumes.