The Volkswagen e-up! electric city car is now on sale in the UK in company’s network of 24 e-Retailers, offering customers a five-door, four-seat well-equipped city car which produces zero emissions on the road.
To boost the green credentials of the Volkswagen e-up!, all customers are also entitled at point of sale to opt in to a green electricity package from Ecotricity, which ensures that when they recharge their car at home they are doing so using 100 percent green energy.
As part of Ecotricity’s ‘Green Electricity + Car’ package, customers receive green energy for their homes, a free smart meter to monitor electricity usage, access to Ecotricity’s national network of charging points, the Electric Highway, as well as 1,000 free miles in their e-up!.
Green Electricity + Car tariff acknowledges that drivers of electric cars will be using more electricity and less petrol, so the net effect of the 1,000 free miles is a reduction in their Unit Rate or the equivalent of a £27.00 discount annually.
The Volkswagen e-up! will cost approximately 2.7p per mile to run based on its battery capacity of 18.7 kWh and range of 93 miles with a full charge costing around £2.75.
Commenting on the package, Dale Vince, founder of Ecotricity said: ‘Ecotricity’s new tariff ensures customers with electric cars are recharging at home with green energy and as a bonus they’ll get 1,000 free miles worth of electricity. And when away from home, drivers of electric cars will also have access to the Electric Highway, so when you’re out and about you can still drive with zero emissions.’
The e-up! is based on the multi-award-winning up! city car, providing maximum internal space despite its compact external size, and minimal impact on passenger space or bootspace (reduced by one litre) as a result of its electric drivetrain and battery. With a specification based on the top trim level High up!, the e-up! has alloy wheels, Climatronic air conditioning, heated seats and windscreen as well as the Maps & More infotainment system with added functionality for the car’s electric features.
It costs £24,250 (RRP), including battery, before the government’s £5,000 electric car grant is applied, which brings the on-road price down to £19,250. It is also available on Volkswagen Financial Services’ eSolutions personal contract plan for £199^ per month (APR 6.6%, see worked example and Ts&Cs below).
When Ecotricity was founded in 1995, it became the world’s first ‘green electricity’ company. Its aim is to change the way electricity is made and used in Britain. Now powering nearly 100,000 homes and businesses from its growing fleet of wind and sun parks, Ecotricity is a ‘not-for-dividend’ enterprise that, on average, invests more per customer in building new sources of green electricity than any other energy company in Britain.
