Volkswagen Up! Battery: Specs, Fitment & Common Faults
A genuine, well-documented VW Group requirement: the Up!'s replacement battery needs to be "coded" to the car's Gateway module — here's what that actually involves.
Illustration for editorial purposes
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OEM Part Number: 12E915592A
| Standard fitment (non-Start/Stop), confirmed by owner measurement | Type 202, 175mm x 175mm x 190mm, minimum 37Ah |
|---|---|
| Larger alternative (confirmed to fit via second mounting hole) | Type 012/079, 207mm x 175mm x 190mm — longer but not taller than standard |
| Start/Stop variants (1.0 GTI, 1.0 MPI 55kW), EFB required | 242-243mm case, minimum 60Ah, 560A (EN) |
| e-Up!, 12V battery module (not the drive battery) | Genuine reference: 12E915592A/E — genuinely separate from the high-voltage traction battery |
Confirmed: Stop-Start Up!s Genuinely Need the Battery "Coded" After Replacement — Volkswagen Up! Battery
This is worth understanding before assuming a simple swap is the end of the job: VW Group vehicles with a Battery Management System (essentially any model with stop-start) need the new battery's details — capacity, chemistry, and serial number — registered to the car's Gateway module, a process usually called battery coding or registration. Skip this, and the car's charging strategy keeps assuming the old, worn battery is still fitted, which can lead to overcharging or undercharging the new one and shortening its life prematurely. This can genuinely be done with widely available aftermarket tools like VCDS or OBDeleven, not exclusively at a VW dealer with their ODIS system — worth knowing if you're comparing quotes or considering doing it yourself.
Volkswagen Up! Battery: The Part Everyone Blames First, Not Always Correctly
On the Volkswagen Up!, more non-starts get pinned on the battery than on any other single component, and that assumption is correct often enough to justify checking it first. It's not always the real cause, though, so it's worth confirming before spending money on a replacement that doesn't fix the problem.
Volkswagen Up! Battery: What It Does
On the Volkswagen Up!, every engine start and every moment the electrical systems run without the engine turning draws on the 12V battery. Stop-start puts far more demand on that battery than older designs, given how often the engine cycles off and on — hence the need for an AGM or EFB battery instead of a standard type.
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Volkswagen Up! Battery: Warning Signs, DIY Difficulty & Aftermarket Advice
These are the same regardless of make or model — see our full Battery Guide for warning signs to watch for, confirming fitment against your VIN, and matching the right technology (standard, EFB, AGM) when buying aftermarket.
More Volkswagen Battery
The same part, covered across other Volkswagen models.