The new version of the Volkswagen Volkswagen e-up has gone on sale in the UK with an official range of 159 miles and a starting price of £19,695, including the £3500 government grant.
Revealed at the Frankfurt motor show last year, the upgraded electric city car switches the 18.7kWh lithium ion battery of the original model for a larger 32.3kWh version. VW says the battery is capable of charging at 40kW, taking 60 minutes to charge to 80 per cent.
Power comes from an 82bhp electric motor, which allows the e-Up to achieve a 0-62mph time of 11.9sec and a top speed of 81mph.
The new e-Up also gains the upgrades made to the recently revamped petrol-engined Up, including a new multifunction camera offering Land Assist, curtain airbags and a smartphone integration cradle.
The range-topping e-Up comes with standard heated front seats and windscreen, climate control, automatic windscreen wipers and electrically heated wing mirrors.Differentiating the electric version from the standard Up, the e-Up also features special 15-inch wheels, and bespoke bumpers and running lights.
The post-grant £19,965 price compares to the £19,300 starting price of the Seat e-Mii and £16,955 cost of the Skoda Citigo-e iV, both of which share a drivetrain and architecture. It is substantially cheaper than the £24,625 list price of the previous-generation e-Up.
The revamped e-Up is part of a major electric car push for Volkswagen, with the firm also unveiling its new ID 3 at Frankfurt last year.
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