VW kills off its cheapest electric car over cybersecurity rules

BERLIN: Volkswagen has announced that it will cease production of its most affordable electric car, the e-Up, later this year due to new cybersecurity regulations in the European Union.

According to the EU regulations applying to all new cars produced from July 2024 on, manufacturers have to install systems to protect the software of their vehicles against cyberattacks.

"We would have to integrate a completely new electronics architecture. That would just be too expensive," VW brand boss Thomas Schäfer told dpa, justifying the company's decision to axe the e-Up.

VW had only last year reopened order books for the electric version after a 14-month hiatus during which it processed a high order backlog. It is now no longer accepting new orders in parts of Europe.


The e-Up Style Plus has a list price of just under €27,000 (RM137,000) in Germany, or around €17,325 (RM88,000) when local government incentives for EVs are deducted, making it the most affordable electric in VW's range.

The car giant says it is also axing the petrol version, and fans of the Up - or of a small VW in its segment - will have to be patient. The manufacturer is planning to launch a successor designed as a purely electric car in a few years' time.

The goal is an affordable entry-level electric car for around €20,000 (RM101,000). This would be significantly cheaper than the previously announced electric Polo ID.

Schäfer said that plans are still in the works and that the launch of the e-Up successor is not expected until after 2026. The Up was introduced in 2011 and was initially only available with a petrol engine before the electric version was added in 2014.