The Volkswagen e-Golf was ideal for US consumers who wanted a well-built EV in a compact body shape. Sadly, it's gone and the only electrified offering from VW is the ID.4 SUV. Over in Europe, there's a greater selection of vehicles.

Not only do they have access to the ID.3 - affectively the e-Golf's replacement - but also the sleek ID.5 and compact e-Up city car. In 2020, Volkswagen placed an order freeze on the electric city car, the German carmaker reportedly unable to respond to a sharp uptick in demand for the affordable EV. What's more, the e-Up was never really designed for high production volumes. However, it seems as if the battery-powered hatchback will be making a return.

This is according to Automobilwoche that reports various Volkswagen dealers have received communication about this change from the carmaker. Several dealerships have, once again, started taking orders for the compact hatchback.

Electric car rental company Nextmove took to their Twitter account with the news, reporting the "Style Plus" derivative will be making a comeback, with a price tag of €26,500 ($30,000).

The e-Up boasts a range of up to 160 miles. While that may seem a steep price to pay for what is, after all, a budget car, government incentives reduce the price to a more palatable €17,000 ($19,300).

Never offered in the US, budget electric cars such as the Volkswagen e-Up and Dacia Spring are a pertinent reminder that local consumers should have the option of purchasing an affordable electric vehicle. Currently, the cheapest electric vehicle available stateside is the Nissan Leaf and, at $27,500 for the base model, it's not affordable for most Americans.

Until then, the upcoming Volkswagen ID.2 looks very promising. Set to launch in 2025, the entry-level derivative should come in at a reasonable $23,700 and prove to be a worthy competitor to Tesla's compact EV, reportedly due this year. As for the reintroduction of the e-Up, it's very likely Volkswagen needed to plug a gap that will eventually be filled by the aforementioned ID.2, instead of sending customers off to rival brands.