VOLKWAGEN has delivered an electric shock by slashing the price of its smallest battery-powered model, the e-up!

The four-figure price cut brings the cost of the e-up! down to £23,115 or £19,615 on the road taking into account the Government Plug-In Car Grant - a saving of £2,935 over the car's previous list price.

And, as if that weren't enough, the German maker is throwing in more than £300-worth of additional kit, including a height adjustable driver's seat and a rear-view camera at no extra cost meaning that buyers of the latest version can notch-up a total saving of £3,250.

According to Volkswagen UK electric vehicles product manager Joe Laurence:"The e-up! is a key part of our electric vehicle family, offering the ideal solution for zero tailpipe-emission urban motoring.

"For 2019, we're offering customers even more value with the addition of several extra features to the e-up! as standard, as well as a major price realignment making the car even more affordable. This is, of course, on top of the tax and fuel cost savings which are built into the e-up!."

As before, the e-up! uses a 374 volt, 18.7 kWh battery pack to give a range of 83 miles. A full charge takes nine hours from a standard three-pin plug, or six hours from a 3.6 kWh wall box. A rapid charge point can provide 80 per cent capacity in 30 minutes.