Fiat 500e detailed: First European EV for those on a budget
Some cars just seem perfectly suited to going electric – city friendly, zippy and with plenty of appeal to the younger generations that car companies want to get excited about the EV future – and the Fiat 500 is definitely one of those.
Already reinvented for the modern world – much as the new Mini was – the Fiat 500 is not just an Italian classic, it’s something of a global icon, so the announcement that the first fully electric Fiat 500e models will arrive in Australian showrooms mid-year will be widely welcomed.
And with a pice tag of $52,500 plus on-road costs it’s towards the lower end of the EV market, only slightly more than the GWM Ora and BYD Atto 3.
So, yes, in EV terms you could call it reasonably priced (an electric Mini will set you back $55,650), but with the Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia Niro EV not much pricier it also reminds you that you’re also paying for the design coolness of the 500e.
It also doesn’t go particularly far on a charge, reinforcing its city friendliness.
The Fiat 500e – which will be available in one trim level, called ‘La Prima’ (Italian for ‘The First’) – is certified as achieving 311km off a charge in Europe and that figure is expected to be matched here.
The funky little Fiat has a front-mounted electric motor making 87kW and 220Nm, and can get from 0 to 100km/h in 9.0 seconds, which, in EV terms, is about a week. There will be a faster Abarth Nuova 500e version before too long.
The Fiat 500e supports DC fast charging at 85kW, meaning it can be charged from zero to 80 per cent in 35 minutes. The 42kWh will take about 20 hours to charge from a home powerpoint.
Amusingly, the Fiat 500e has an e-mode selector offering three driving modes: Normal, Range and “Sherpa”. We’re assuming this mode will not help you get to the top of a Himalayan mountain, or not with 311km of range anyway.
The La Prima spec includes rearview parking camera, blind spot monitor, autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane control, attention assist, intelligent speed assistant with traffic sign recognition, a tyre pressure monitoring system, automatic headlamps, high-beam assist and rain-sensing wipers.
Perhaps most importantly, the 500e looks desirably cute, with lashings of Italian style and plenty of cues pointing back to the original, 1957 Fiat 500, which was roughly the size of a picnic basket.
Fiat points out that the 500e has won 39 awards since its European launch, including Best Small Electric Car for the city by What Car? in 2021.
