Volkswagen e-Up! price announced

Despite its humble city car origins, the new Volkswagen e-Up! isn’t going to be a particularly cheap route to electric-powered motoring.

In Germany the e-Up!’s price has been set at an astonishing €26,900, which makes it almost 2.7 times more expensive than the entry-level petrol version.

Volkswagen e-Up! 5-Door (2014) Front Side
The electric Volkswagen e-Up!...

Applying a similar differential means the e-Up! could cost about £22,100 in the UK before the government’s £5,000 Plug-in Car Grant has been deducted. Although the Volkswagen will come as standard with satellite navigation, heated seats, a heated windscreen and climate control (all items that’ll help drain the battery more quickly, incidentally), it nevertheless looks relatively poor value.

The recently upgraded Nissan Leaf, for example, currently starts at £25,990 (including a battery pack but excluding the £5,000 subsidy). However, the Nissan is a much larger vehicle and it features a 107 bhp (80 kW / 109 PS) electric motor. That’s enough for a 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time of 11.4 seconds and a top speed of 90 mph (145 km/h).

Nissan Leaf (2013 European Spec) Front Side
...and the Nissan Leaf.

By comparison, the less powerful e-Up! boasts a peak output of 80 bhp (60 kW / 82 PS). Consequently it’s slightly slower, taking 12.4 seconds to hit 62 mph before going on to a maximum of 80 mph (130 km/h).

But the most important criterion for today’s electric cars is range. With its ability to travel 124 miles (200 kilometres) between recharges the Nissan once again outperforms the Volkswagen, which manages 99 miles (160 kilometres).

Related posts:
Volkswagen e-Up! revealed
2013 Euro-spec Nissan Leaf
Nine electric cars get grant

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