VW plans to restart sales of e-Up electric minicar as demand surges for affordable EVs

BERLIN -- Volkswagen plans to restart sales of the battery-powered version of its Up minicar to meet growing demand for affordabe electric cars.

VW stopped selling the e-Up in 2020 when government incentives to encourage EV purchases caused a surge in demand. The model was not designed for high volumes and selling it with discounts was not profitable, according to German press reports.

But the sales success of small electric cars such as the Renault Zoe and the Dacia Spring shows there is market demand for low-cost EVs.

"We had temporarily taken the e-Up off the market in 2020 because delivery times had risen dramatically due to high demand," VW said in an emailed statement to German IT news website Golem. "Now it has been decided to reintroduce the e-Up into the order program."

According to a report published in Automotive News Europe sister publication Automobilwoche, the first dealers are already putting up lists for prospective buyers of the e-Up.

The electric car rental company Nextmove said the e-Up in the "Style Plus" version is about to make a comeback with a list price of about 26,500 euros ($30,000) and a range of roughly 250 km (155 miles).

The final customer price would be around 17,000 euros after government incentives offered in Germany.

"The run will be epic and quick response critical," Nextmove wrote on Twitter.

With the e-Up, VW could plug the gap in its EV lineup until its new entry-level battery-electric car goes on sale in 2025.