German carmaker Volkswagen AG will unveil several new models at the Frankfurt Auto Show, including an electric car called the E-Up! The E-Up! to be powered by electrons is a small car– under 10.5 feet in length – and will seat four occupants in a 3+1 arrangement. Top speed is listed at just under 135 km/h and the run to 60 mph will take about 11 seconds while the city-centric zero to 30 mph is dispatched in just 3.5 seconds. The E-Up! electric car will weigh 1,085 kilograms. The 18 kWh lithium ion battery pack weighing 530 kilograms will be housed in the underbody of the E-Up! To optimally distribute the weight of the battery system, it is housed in a special, crash-protected tray in the underbody frame. Air cooling ensures a constant heat balance within the batteries. The fans and heat exchangers needed for this are housed in the front section of the underbody. The VW logo on the V-shaped engine bonnet of the E-Up! is more than just an homage to the Beetle. Hidden behind the folding logo is the integrated port for charging the batteries. The advantage of positioning the plug port here is that it makes it easier to recharge the E-Up! from stations on either the left or right sides of the street or directly in front of the car. Refueled at night the E-Up! could be driven 100 kilometers for just two Euros in electricity costs.

The roof of the E-Up! is equipped with solar cells over an area measuring 1.4 square meters. This area – between the rear part of the roof edge spoiler and the front windscreen – can be enlarged to 1.7 square meters in total by folding down the sun visors that are also equipped with solar cells. The solar cells continuously supply energy to the car's electrical system, and while the vehicle is parked they help to cool the interior by supplying energy to the car's ventilation system.

The E-Up! compact would likely only go into production in 2013 and approach production levels of that of its other popular compact cars only by 2020.