Electric Cars: The Basics
For those of you new to zero-emission electric driving, we recommend a read of the following articles:
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The All-Electric Volkswagen e-up! Hatchback
Volkswagen AG, the Germany automotive group is one of the leading automotive companies in the global electric vehicle (EV) industry. Volkswagen has committed to an investment up to Euro 30 billion by 2023. It aims to sell 3 million electric vehicles by 2025 and launch up to 70 new EV models over the next 10 years.
With the launch of its electric vehicle ID. Family, VW is fast cementing a dominant position to become the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer by 2028, with the automotive behemoth planning to manufacturer 22 million electric vehicles. The automotive company currently has a number of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) on sale, to include:
- The all-electric VW ID.3
- The all-electric VW ID.4
- The all-electric VW ID.4 GTX
- The all-electric VW ID.5
- The all-electric VW ID.7
- The all-electric VW ID.Buzz
- The all-electric VW e-up!
- VW Touareg Plug-In Hybrid
- VW Passat GTE Plug-In Hybrid
- VW Passat GTE Plug-In Hybrid Estate
- VW Golf 8 Plug-In Hybrid
- VW Tiguan eHybrid
The Volkswagen e-up! is a city car that was launched as an internal combustion engine (ICE) model in 2011. The battery-electric vehicle (BEV) variant was launched in 2013 at the International Motor Show Germany. The original pure electric e-up! had a 18.7 kWh lithium-ion EV battery. The second-generation all-electric VW e-up! was announced in 2019.
The compact EV has been positioned as a zero-emission city electric car. The VW electric hatchback is available in only one battery option (32.3 kWh), with a range up to 257 km (WLTP). The electric hatchback is suitable for city driving and even day trips! The electric car has a 7.2 kW on board charger and is capable of rapid DC charging up to 40 kW.
PROS | CONS |
---|---|
A good option for pure electric city driving | Limited interior space |
Well equipped | Lacks automatic emergency braking |
Easy to drive | Limited range for out of city trips |
The All-Electric Volkswagen e-up! (credit: VW)
At A Glance | |
---|---|
EV Type: | Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV) |
Vehicle Type: | Hatchback |
Engine: | Electric |
Available In Ireland: | No |
Variants (1 Option) |
---|
e-up! (from N/A) |
EV Battery & Emissions | |
---|---|
EV Battery Type: | Lithium-ion |
EV Battery Capacity: | Available in one battery size: 32.3 kWh |
Charging: | 40 kW rapid charging standard. On-board charger 7.2 kW AC |
Charge Port: | Type 2 |
EV Cable Type: | Type 2 |
Tailpipe Emissions: | 0g (CO2/km) |
Warranty: | 8 years or 160,000 km |
Average Cost Of Residential Charging | |
---|---|
Battery net capacity: 16.7 kWh | € 4.00 |
Battery net capacity: 30.0 kWh | € 7.19 |
Battery net capacity: 39.2 kWh | € 9.39 |
Battery net capacity: 45.0 kWh | € 10.78 |
Battery net capacity: 50.0 kWh | € 11.98 |
Battery net capacity: 64.0 kWh | € 15.34 |
Battery net capacity: 71.0 kWh | € 17.01 |
Battery net capacity: 77.0 kWh | € 18.45 |
Battery net capacity: 90.0 kWh | € 21.57 |
Battery net capacity: 100.0 kWh | € 23.97 |
- Note 1: The average cost of residential electricity in Ireland varies depending on the region, supplier and type of energy used. An average for Ireland is 23.97 cents/kWh.
- Note 2: Not all EV manufactures make available the data on net EV battery capacity, and in a number of instances the EV battery capacity advertised, does not state if it is gross or net capacity. In general, usable EV battery capacity is between 85% to 95% of the gross available capacity.
Charging Times (Overview) | |
---|---|
Slow charging AC (3 kW – 3.6 kW): | 6 – 12 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SOC) |
Fast charging AC (7 kW – 22 kW): | 3 – 8 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC) |
Rapid charging AC (43 kW): | 0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC) |
Rapid charging DC (50 kW+): | 0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC) |
Ultra rapid charging DC (150 kW+): | 0-80% : 20 mins to 40 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC) |
Tesla Supercharger (120 kW – 250 kW): | 0-80%: up to 25 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC) |
- Note 1: SoC: state of charge
Dimensions | |
---|---|
Height (mm): | 1492 |
Width (mm): | 1645 |
Length (mm): | 3600 |
Wheelbase (mm): | 2417 |
Turning Circle (m): | 9.8 |
Boot Space (L): | 250 |
VW e-up! | |
---|---|
EV Battery Capacity: | 32.3 kWh |
Pure Electric Range (WLTP): | 257 km |
Electric Energy Consumption (Wh/km): | 145.24 |
Charging: | 40 kW Rapid Charging (on-board charger: 7.2 kW AC) |
Top Speed: | 130 km/h |
0-100 km/h: | 11.9 seconds |
Drive: | Front-wheel drive |
Electric Motor (kW): | 61 |
Max Power (PS): | 82 |
Torque (Nm): | 210 |
Transmission: | Automatic |
Seats: | 4 |
Doors: | 5 |
Unladen Weight (kg): | 1,235 |
Colours: | 8 |
NCAP Safety Rating: | N/A |
Ireland: EV Market Overview
As is the case in a number of global markets, to include the European Union and the United Kingdom, the sale of electric cars in Ireland is also fast gaining momentum. In fact, in January 2022, battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), accounted for 21% of all new cars licensed in Ireland. Put another way, more than a fifth of the cars bought in Ireland were either pure electric or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
It is also worth nothing the continued decline in the sale of diesel vehicles in Ireland, as families and businesses migrate to lower tailpipe emission electric vehicles (EVs). Diesel market share has declined from 34.2% in early 2021 to 19.7% in early 2022. We can expect this trend to continue for the forseeable future.
The government has set a target of 936,000 electric vehicles by 2030, with 845,000 to be private passenger cars. This will be approximately a third of the vehicles on roads in Ireland (currently there are 2.8 million vehicles on the road). Like many other governments, Ireland is committed to ending the sale of internal combustion engine (ICE) cars by 2030.
The government is committed to the rapid adoption of electric cars in the country. The Department of Transport has committed €100 million for EV subsidies in 2022 (almost double the commitment in 2021). The grant for private electric vehicles is up to €5,000 on qualifying battery-electric vehicles (BEVs). Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), do not qualify for the electric vehicle grant.
Ireland: Top Electric Cars
Top Electric Cars | Type Of EV |
---|---|
Tesla Model 3 | Battery-electric vehicle (BEV) |
Volkswagen ID.3 | Battery-electric vehicle (BEV) |
Nissan Leaf | Battery-electric vehicle (BEV) |
Renault Zoe | Battery-electric vehicle (BEV) |
Volkswagen ID.4 | Battery-electric vehicle (BEV) |
Hyundai IONIQ 5 | Battery-electric vehicle (BEV) |
Kia e-Niro | Battery-electric vehicle (BEV) |
Kia EV6 | Battery-electric vehicle (BEV) |
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