As Volkswagen's Up! city car project inches ever closer to production, the company has debuted several concepts with various powerplants and has promised a range of gasoline and diesel engines for the production car. Now, the company is taking things a step further with the E-Up! powered by batteries and an electric motor.
The E-Up!'s integral drive unit consists of the electric motor, single-speed transmission and differential -- all built together as one single unit to save space and weight. The electric motor is capable of putting up to 81 hp through the front wheels for short bursts but will normally put out 54 hp. With 155 lb-ft of torque helping motivate the 2392-lb car, the E-Up! should hit 62 mph in 11.3 sec and a top speed of 84 mph, Volkswagen says.
Powering the E-Up! is a 529-lb lithium-ion battery pack strapped to the bottom of the car for optimal weight distribution. The 18 kWh capacity pack should be good for a range of about 80 miles and will recharge in five hours when plugged into a standard European 220-volt wall socket. The charging port is cleverly hidden behind the VW logo on the nose, allowing it to more easily reach plugs on either side of the car.
Dubbed "the Beetle of the 21st Century" by Volkswagen itself, the E-Up!'s bulky proportions don't make for the most aerodynamic shape, but they do open up a surprising amount of space for four passengers and their cargo despite the vehicle's petite dimensions. By way of comparison, the E-Up! is actually 35 inches shorter in length and an inch shorter in height than an original VW Beetle. It makes up the difference by being four inches wider and by pushing the wheels out to the corners to maximize interior space. Even then, the E-Up!'s wheelbase is more than eight inches shorter than the original Beetle's.
...
>>next page