The alternative to Dacia Spring is preparing for relaunch: how much does it cost, when can you buy it

VW wants to provide a small, affordable electric car to cover the production gap until the launch of ID Life.

Volkswagen has announced that it is reopening orders for the e-Up, the electric version of the small Up, which has enjoyed success throughout Europe. The company stopped production of this model, for several reasons, including because its autonomy no longer corresponded to the level that the other models offered.

At the moment, against the subsidies granted by the governments of Europe, including in Romania, where the biggest bonus is granted for the purchase of an electric vehicle, the German manufacturer is looking for solutions to increase sales, and the e-Up model can generate significant additional revenue. The company announced that all previous orders of the e-Up model registered in 2021 have been honored.

VW stopped selling e-Ups in 2020, when government incentives to encourage electric vehicle purchases boosted demand. The model was not designed for large volumes, and its sale with discounts was not profitable, according to the German press.

Demand for small cars is on the rise

“We’ve temporarily phased out e-Ups in 2020 because delivery times have increased dramatically due to high demand,” VW said. “It has now been decided to reintroduce e-Up into the ordering program.”

The version that Volkswagen is currently offering for sale is Style Plus, which costs 26,895 euros, about 5,000 euros more expensive than the Dacia Spring, but with a number of additional equipment, greater range and a 5-star rating at EuroNCAP. This version is equipped with a 61kW motor, much more powerful than the 28 kW motor on Spring, and the autonomy is 258 km, compared to the 225 km of the Romanian model.

Volkswagen says it has sold 80,000 e-Up units so far, of which more than 30,000 will be delivered in Europe in 2021 alone.