The Volkswagen e-up! is back to compete against the Dacia Spring in the European market. The German automaker stopped its production in the later stages of 2020 owing to the manufacturing delays.
By the end of 2020, the delivery times went up to 16 months. However, VW started its development again last year to clear the backlog and now the sales are resuming in its home market Germany and the rest of Europe.
The e-up! is an entry-level car from Volkswagen in the EV segment of Europe that sits beneath the VW ID.3. So far, the company has sold 80K units of this EV around the globe. In Germany, the e-up! was the second best-selling EV last year.
Right now, Volkswagen is selling this EV in only one trim level namely Style Plus sporting a price tag of €26,895 or around $30,400 at the present exchange rates. It is a VAT inclusive price in Germany. However, it does not comprise the €9,570 ($10,830) rebate for the environmental and innovation reward.
The Volkswagen e-up! houses a 32.2 kWh battery system that is capable of delivering 160 miles (258 kilometers) between charges, according to the WLTP cycle. Juicing up the EV at a 40 kW DC charger enables the e-up! to add 80 per cent of power in an hour.
In the absence of e-up! last year, the Dacia Spring became Europe’s most affordable best-seller in the entry-level EV market. Made in China, the Spring has accumulated more than 46,000 orders so far.
With the revival of the VW e-up!, both the EVs will now go head to head to take the best-selling crown in the entry-level EV segment. However, Dacia will cease production of the Spring in the next two years, as it plans to replace it with a new vehicle in 2024.
Source and Images: Motors