The VW e-Up and e-Golf made their debut at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show. The VW e-Up is considered by some a competitor to the BMW i3, despite being a conversion model.
The e-Up uses a 60-kW motor producing 155 pound-feet of torque and runs from 0-to-62 miles per hour in 12.4 seconds. Top speed is 81 mph. The 18.7 kWh battery gives the e-Up a range of 100 miles. It comes with two “efficient driving” modes (“Eco”, “Eco+”) and four regenerative braking modes (“D1”, “D2”, “D3” and “B”) that help to extend maximum driving ranges.
With an overall length of 3.54 meters, the e-Up is about half a meter shorter than the BMW i3. The VW e-Up weighs 1,140 kilograms.
In Germany, the VW e-Up is priced at 26,900 euros.
COMPARISON: BMW i3 vs VW e-Up
The car is charged via a port behind the passenger-side rear door, and a standard 230-volt wall socket charger can fill the battery from empty within nine hours. Upgrade to a wall box charger for the garage or carport, and you’re looking at an empty-to-full charge time of six hours.
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