The future now looks more electrically lit than ever, with VW releasing the images of the e-Golf and the e-Up! prior to its global unveiling at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show. Following the lines laid by BMW with its i3 hatchback, VW has opted for a pure electric hatchback, but thought a range extender. The cars are production ready and will hit European markets soon after its launch next month.
The e-Up! is powered by a 60kW electric motor that produces 210Nm of torque and gets its fuel from a 18.7kWh Li-ion battery enabling the car with a driving range of 161km. The car can accelerate from 0-100kph in 12.4 seconds and is limited to a top speed of 130kph.
The e-Golf on the other hand uses a more powerful 85kWh battery powered by a 24.2-kWh battery. This will allow the e-Golf to run 180km in one go and peak its speed to 140kph. The 0-100kph figure of the Golf is also improved over the Up! by 2sec.
VW claim that both the e-Golf and the e-Up will cost just over 3 euros (Rs 270) to run 100kms, which is close to what an economic diesel hatchback will need. On a flipside, these cars will be more expensive than their diesel counterpart, while help you to save Mother Nature in your own little way. But then, in an Indian perspective an all-electric hatchback will not make sense for quite a while here despite its innumerable benefits. The government policies, the charging infrastructure and above all the public perception will need to change drastically for it to be a viable solution.
