Originally launched in 2014, VW have re-energised their small city car with an all new battery, offering twice the capacity of the previous version.

The e-up! is visually very familiar, however  power wise the 81bhp, 155lb  electric motor sits up front, while the 18.7kWh lithium ion battery pack, weighing 230kg, lies in the floor, so the centre of gravity is lower than in a combustion engine car meaning the e-Up! Will do 0-62 in around 12 seconds

There are no interior space compromises, and the interior fittings are near identical to standard petrol model. There is a small change in the boot with a litre less boot space at 250 Litres (against the original petrol 251Ltrs)

As with all electric vehicles, range is dependent on how it’s driven. VW state a range of 159 miles off a single charge, which will be determined by the three driving modes – normal, eco and eco plus – which progressively reduce power and electrical systems depending on how energy-minded you want to be. However, good news for charging as VW’s deal with Tesco means you’ll be able to charge up, completely for free, at around 2400 Volkswagen charging points at Tesco sites in a deal with charging partner Pod Point

Every e-up! comes with two charging cables – one for wall boxes and public charging points, and another for using with a three-pin domestic socket.

Orders for the e-up! were suspended in the UK for several months in late 2020 due to high demand, but it’s now available for configuration on the VW website.

With an asking price of around £20,000, coupled with VW’s notable brand-loyalty, we’re pretty certain that the E-up! will be a popular choice to certain sections of the EV-buying public