2009 Frankfurt Auto Show: Volkswagen Rolls Out E-Up!, Says EV's a Go for 2013

Volkswagen AG this week rolled an electric car it calls the E-Up! onto the world stage, and told onlookers that the never-before-seen plug-in EV will likely enter production in 2013.

Furthermore, the German carmaker said it expects the zero-emissions compact car to approach production level on par with it other compact cars by 2020.

The company said the front-wheel-drive vehicle's lithium-ion battery will have 18 kilowatt hours of energy capacity enabling a driving distance of around 130 kilometers, or about 80 miles, depending on driving style.

"One of the basic milestones on this timeline is the mass-produced electric car," Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn said in a statement.

He said only in high volumes and on all continents could one truly speak of the beginning of the electric age in automobiles and a perceptible reduction of their environmental impact.

"The concept car now being presented in Frankfurt very realistically shows how we envision such a Volkswagen with pure electric drive --- technically, visually and with regard to a practical size," Winterkorn said.

Press Release

Because the E-Up! is years from entering production and lots of changes will take place in EV development between now and then, Volkswagen was not very specific with regard to how fast the vehicle might go and how far between charges and other details. Instead, the automaker issued this short statement:

The zero-emissions E-Up! concept is based on modules of the New Small Family expected for the year 2011. However, at a length of 3.19 meters it is even more compact and shows Volkswagen's vision of a potential city specialist of the year 2013 powered purely by electricity.

Stylistically, the powerful and clearly drawn lines of the E-Up! body follow the new Volkswagen "de­sign DNA" and show cult potential. That is because, it is the first ultra-compact to appear in a long time that is so appealing while revealing timeless qualities extending beyond class boundaries.

It does not rely on retro styling, but instead points in new directions. Inside, the smallest Volkswagen of all times also astonishes with space utilization never before realised in this form. Three adults and one child can sit comfortably in the E-Up! And on one charge of its lithium-ion batteries they can travel about 130 emissions-free kilometres through the city.

Posted by

Scott Doggett September 17, 2009, 3:48 PM

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Categories:

Auto Shows, Batteries, Emissions, Plug-ins and Electric, Volkswagen

Technorati Tags:

Electric Car, Electric Vehicle, Frankfurt Motor Show, Plug-In EV, Volkswagen E-Up!, Zero Emissions

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