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VW Space Up concept takes hydrogen

Space Up makes its U.S. debut and new details on what a concept mini mini van might run on come to light.

Candace Lombardi
In a software-driven world, it's easy to forget about the nuts and bolts. Whether it's cars, robots, personal gadgetry or industrial machines, Candace Lombardi examines the moving parts that keep our world rotating. A journalist who divides her time between the United States and the United Kingdom, Lombardi has written about technology for the sites of The New York Times, CNET, USA Today, MSN, ZDNet, Silicon.com, and GameSpot. She is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not a current employee of CNET.
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Candace Lombardi

Volkswagen introduced the Space Up to the U.S. press at the 2007 LA Auto Show on Wednesday.

With its U.S. debut, Volkswagen has offered a little more information on the Space Up concept car, which was unveiled at the 2007 Tokyo auto show in October.

The hybrid concept vehicle, which would run on a combination of compressed hydrogen fuel and lithium-ion batteries, would have a top speed of about 75 mph.

Volkswagen

Its batteries could be recharged from common electrical outlets. On electrical battery power alone, the Space Up could travel about 155 miles, and on a full tank of hydrogen would have a range of about 220 miles.

In keeping with the Space Up' s environmentally friendly theme, much of the interior is made from recycled materials that include wood, plastics, and organic plastics (aka biopolymers).