Volkswagen to unveil new electric car at IAA

FRANKFURT: German carmaker Volkswagen AG said on Monday that it would unveil several new models at the Frankfurt Auto Show, including an electric car called the E-Up.

At a reception before the start of the show Monday evening, the company said the E-Up compact would likely only go into production in 2013 and approach production levels approaching its other popular cars only by 2020.

The company said the front-wheel drive car's lithium ion battery will have 18 kilowatt hours energy capacity enabling a driving distance of around 80 miles (130 kilometers), depending on driving style.

``One of the basic milestones on this timeline is the mass produced electric car,'' CEO Martin Winterkorn said in a statement.

He said only in high volumes and on all continents could one truly speak of the beginning of the electric age in automobiles and a perceptible reduction of their environmental impact.

``The concept car now being presented in Frankfurt very realistically shows how we envision such a Volkswagen with pure electric drive _ technically, visually and with regard to a practical size,'' Winterkorn said.

The company will also unveil other models that include more of its Blue Motion technology as well as new hybrid technology