VW plugs in for electric era with e-up

...and used its latest plug-in project — the e-up — to demonstrate their viability. The four-seater electric concept has a 60kW/200Nm electric motor that is recharged via a socket concealed behind the bonnet badge. VW says the front-wheel drive car can go fro 130km on one charge, and has a top speed of 130km/h — with a 0-100km/h time of 11 seconds.

It also has solar panels in the roof that power the peripherals like airconditioning but can also help keep the car’s battery charged. And it comes equipped with an electric scooter, which Volkswagen Group boss Prof Martin Winterkorn demonstrated — albeit a little shakily at first — in launching the e-up.

It may look like it’s just for show, but Winterkorn says it’s not hype and the time for electric cars has definitely arrived ."The electric car era is upon us," he said. "In the past people have focused on power but now they focus on efficiency and emissions. "The future will belong to sustainable transport, and we have all the expertise of our engineers working on this right now.

Winterkorn says VW is committed to its electric car program and also to developing more efficient engine technology and strategies and materials to reduce car weight. "We believe a safe, affordable and reliable electric car is possible," he said.

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