Volkswagen e-Up review

Electric cars make most sense in built-up urban areas, so surely the VW Up, one of our favourite city cars, is the ideal starting point?

Well, in many respects yes, because just like the regular petrol-powered Up, the fully electric e-Up is blessed with tidy driving manners and turn-on-a-dime manoeuvrability. The trouble is, a great electric car also needs to make sense financially and have a long range, and in these respects the e-Up looks a bit weak compared with its rivals, namely the Renault Zoe.

A full charge takes around nine hours from a standard three-pin socket, but you can top up to 80% in just 30 minutes if you have access to a more powerful fast charger. With the batteries full of juice, VW claims a maximum range of 99 miles, but in reality you won’t get anywhere near that – especially in the cold.

So, will the VW e-Up suit your lifestyle? Should you buy one over other similarly priced electric cars? Or would you actually be better off with a petrol-powered version? Read on over the next few pages and we’ll tell you all you need to know.