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Volkswagen set out its plans for an emissions-free future when it revealed the E-up! in Frankfurt

New zero-emissions E-Up! Concept unveiled at Frankfurt

New zero-emissions E-Up! Concept unveiled at Frankfurt

Volkswagen set out its plans for an emissions-free future when it revealed the E-up! in Frankfurt. Powered by an electric motor capable of delivering 81PS and 154 lbs ft of torque channelling drive through the front wheels, the E-Up! Concept can ccelerate to 62mph in 11.3 seconds before reaching a top speed of 84mph.

The E-Up! weighs just 1,085kg – a emarkable figure given that the lithium-ion batteries powering the vehicle account for 240kg of this total.

The batteries have a capacity of 18kWh that allows a theoretical range of more than 8 0 miles. Through the use of proposed public charging stations, 80 per cent of the vehicle’s battery capacity can be made available within an hour. Using a domestic system would require a charging time of around five hours. This process is aided by a series of solar panels measuring 1.4 square metres mounted on the car’s roof.

Housed under the floor of the E-Up!, the batteries are protected by a specially designed crash structure and are kept cool by a series of heat exchangers. The entire system, including the electric motor, transmission and differential, are all extremely compact to free up as much space inside the car as possible.

The E-Up! is inspired by the new design direction established by Walter de Silva, Head of Design at Volkswagen Group, who worked on the new Golf as well as the up! concept from the 2007 Frankfurt Show. The E-up! has a distinctive ‘face’ and clean, minimalist lines complemented by intricate detailing around the front and rear lights. It measures just 3,199mm in length and sits on a 2,190mm wheelbase with minimal front nd rear overhangs.

Despite its diminutive dimensions, the E-Up! is spacious inside and is capable of carrying three adults plus a child. The 3+1 seating arrangement means two adults can sit on the passenger side of the v hicle: the passenger seat is mounted 50mm further forward than the driver’s seat to make this possible. On the driver’s side a small space is available for occasional use by adults or children. The total loadspace is 85-litres, rising to 320-litres when the seats are flded. 

The innovative approach to the drivetrain and packaging is continued in the design of the interior. To reduce demand on the vehicle’s batteries, simple mechanisms such as the mirror adjustment and windows are manually operated. These simplistic methods extend to he touchscreen HMI (Human Machine Interface), which relays critical information to the driver including the amount of charge remaining and offers advice on nearby recharging stations.

On unveiling the E-Up! Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Group said: "Cars with pure petrol and diesel engines – which in the foreseeable future will continue to be unbeatable for mid- to long-range distances – will be supplemented by cars like the E-Up! in coming years. And that will start happening in 2013. The concept now being presented in Frankfurt very realistically shows how we envisage such a Volkswagen with pure electric drive technology, visually and in terms of size."