Volkswagen e-Up! 18.7 kWh

Overview

The 2019 Volkswagen e-Up! with the 18.7 kWh battery pack was a cracking little city EV, perfect for nipping around town. As one of the early affordable electrics in Europe, it made EV ownership accessible. This particular trim, marking the end of its production run in 2019 before a battery upgrade, offered a no-frills, purely electric experience. With a used price around €7,480, it's a budget-friendly entry into electric motoring. Key highlights include its compact size, zippy urban performance, and surprisingly practical interior for its class. It’s a proper pocket rocket for the city!

What's New for 2019?

For the 18.7 kWh version of the e-Up!, 2019 was its swansong year before a larger battery model took centre stage. So, rather than packing new features, this trim represented the final iteration of the original e-Up! formula. It solidified its role as an established, if basic, urban EV. The big news in the e-Up! world for 2019 was really the anticipation of its successor with significantly more range, making this outgoing model a value proposition for those whose driving needs matched its modest battery. Think of it as the last hurrah for this specific battery setup!

Design & Exterior

The 2019 e-Up! 18.7 kWh keeps that classic, friendly Up! city car look – compact, upright, and undeniably cheeky. It’s a doddle to park with its tiny footprint: just 3540 mm long, 1645 mm wide (no mirrors), and 1477 mm tall. Distinguishing electric touches are subtle, often including blue accents and unique badging. This version typically rolled on efficient alloy wheels designed to eke out every last kilometre. While not a head-turner in the supercar sense, its purposeful and cute design has a charm all its own, perfectly suited for urban adventures.

Interior, Tech & Cargo

Inside, the e-Up! 18.7 kWh is surprisingly spacious for a city slicker, comfortably seating four. The design is functional and robust, with a focus on practicality. You get a decent 250 litres of boot space, expanding to a useful 923 litres with the rear seats folded flat – ideal for shopping hauls. Sadly, no frunk here. Tech was fairly basic; many relied on the "Maps + More" smartphone integration via a dash-mounted dock for navigation and media, keeping costs down but still offering essential connectivity for the daily grind.

Performance & Driving Experience

Don't let its size fool you; the e-Up! 18.7 kWh is a zippy performer in town! Its 60 kW Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) delivers a healthy 210 Nm of instant torque to the front wheels, making for a brisk 0-100 km/h dash in 12.4 seconds – plenty quick for traffic light getaways. The FWD setup ensures easy handling, and its compact dimensions make it incredibly agile. Ride comfort is decent for a small car, soaking up urban bumps. Regenerative braking helps claw back some energy, and it’s all rather fun for a city runabout.

Range, Battery & Charging

The e-Up! 18.7 kWh features a 16 kWh usable battery pack (18.7 kWh nominal). Green Cars Compare calculates its real-world range at around 117 km, with an efficiency of 7.31 km/kWh – ideal for city commutes. AC charging via its CCS Type 2 port is at a standard 3.6 kW, meaning a full top-up takes around 5-6 hours from empty. For quicker boosts on the go, DC fast charging maxes out at 40 kW, getting you to 80% in about 30 minutes. It’s a straightforward setup, perfect for urbanites.

Safety & Driver-Assistance Features

The Volkswagen Up! platform, on which the e-Up! is based, scored a solid 5-star rating from Euro NCAP in its earlier tests, reflecting good fundamental safety. For the 2019 e-Up! 18.7 kWh, standard kit typically included essentials like ABS, ESP, and multiple airbags. More advanced driver-assistance systems were limited, though City Emergency Braking was often available or standard, a crucial feature for urban environments. It provided peace of mind for navigating busy streets, even if not loaded with all the latest high-tech aids of premium models.

Warranty & Maintenance Coverage

When new, the 2019 VW e-Up! 18.7 kWh likely came with Volkswagen's standard European warranty, typically 2 years with unlimited kilometres for the vehicle. The crucial battery warranty usually extended to 8 years or 160,000 km, whichever came first, covering against significant degradation. Electric motors themselves are part of the powertrain and are generally very reliable, requiring minimal maintenance compared to combustion engines. This means fewer trips to the garage and lower running costs, which is always a bonus for a budget-friendly city car.