Fiat’s 500e is more than an electric 500

This small electric car unabashedly leaps through the automotive epochs. Fiat’s sales hope for the near future cites the brand’s past with the means of the small car present. In concrete terms: The new all-electric Fiat 500e looks pretty much exactly like the current one 500 with combustion engine. But technically it is a completely independent car. The 500e will be bigger than the retro small car without an e in its name and will be on a specially developed platform for electric drives.

This makes the Fiat 500e the most serious electric car to date. Initial information on range and top speed indicate that this city car can be used on the autobahn and far enough on the country road. Both according to a reasonable amount of time spent at the charging station. But the 500e is unlikely to be the cheapest small electric car on the market.

Fiat 500e: body and dimensions

Why is Fiat bringing the e-car so close to the normal 500? Because it works. Consistent, at the market and marketing level. Europe knows and buys the retro small car with technical origins in 2007. To put it into perspective: It’s as if VW had simply done without the youngest two Golf generations – and still one of the bestsellers in the segment.

Fiat should be about minimizing risk. The expensively developed e-car has to arrive; it will no longer fail because of the body. Except for the last rounding, the 500e is not the same as the ordinary 500: The distinction is most accurate at the front. The air inlets are larger, the headlights nibble on the lower edge of the bonnet.

Fiat’s latest take on the 1960s small car classic Nuova 500 strips off some cuteness overall. Part of that may be due to the proportions. The 500e is wider and around six centimeters longer than the combustion model, measuring just over 3.7 meters. The wheelbase increases by two centimeters and is just under 2.32 meters.

Driving performance and range

Fiat integrates the battery with 42 kWh capacity in the underbody. One battery charge in the Fiat 500e should be sufficient for 320 kilometers, measured in the somewhat realistic WLTP cycle. The tendency is when the possibilities of the 118 HP (87 kW) are seldom exhausted. Those who prefer to put the responsibility on electronics rather than their own accelerator can choose the “Sherpa” driving mode. Then the 500e reacts sluggishly to gas commands, regulates the air conditioning and throttles the maximum speed to 80 km / h. The regular top speed is 150 km / h – also electronically governed, but absolutely suitable for the motorway.

From 0 to 100 km / h, according to the data sheet, the 500e leaves all good internal combustion 500s standing: only the Abarth models undercut the sprint value of 9.0 seconds. You might look a tad better in the 500e in the downtown sprint. Because the 500e should reach 50 km / h after 3.1 seconds.

Charging options: wallbox and fast charging station

The power storage on the wallbox becomes full overnight. With 7.4 kW charging power, the battery can be fully recharged in around six hours, according to the manufacturer. If you are in a hurry, you can head for a fast charging station en route. The Fiat 500e draws electricity for around 50 kilometers in five minutes using the combo plug with DC poles. According to the manufacturer, the battery is charged to 80 percent in 35 minutes.

Fiat calculates with the maximum charging power of 85 kW in these calculation examples. However, many publicly accessible fast chargers only offer a maximum of 50 kW. Counter-argument: This is a snapshot with a foreseeable development upwards. And the 500e will be around for a while. Nobody among the volume manufacturers is currently choosing longer product life cycles than Fiat.

Common driver assistants, new infotainment

A bundle of driver assistants that is as complete as possible is crucial if a car is to look fresh for a long time. Fiat offers adaptive cruise control and a lane holder with centering function for the 500e. In combination, they result in a traffic jam assistant for pre-autonomy in slow traffic.

With the electric model, Fiat’s new infotainment system is making its debut with a horizontal 10.25-inch display and all common coupling functions. The screen is on a pleasantly functional dashboard with a few buttons. And without a connected backdrop for the gear lever. Fiat saves it, there is no need to refill an electric car with a permanent gear ratio.

Prices: “La Prima” will not be Fiat’s cheapest 500e

For the interior, Fiat offers optional fabrics made from recycled material – and direct sunlight: Like the combustion engine, the 500e is available closed or with an unsoldered roof. The model shown shows the open version with actual full equipment. It is the model that Fiat produces with the suffix “la Prima” before the regular series. There are 500 copies per store, the first of which are scheduled to be available from dealers in summer 2020.

Fiat charges 500 euros for the advance reservation of this First Edition, the retail price for Germany has not yet been determined. The figure for the Italian market is 37,500 euros. A good guideline for pricing. He suggests: With the basic equipment and without a folding roof, the 500e will undercut this value. But other small electric cars tend to be cheaper. The Peugeot 208e starts at a little more than 30,000 euros, the Opel Corsa-e just below this limit. In terms of claim and appearance, the Mini Cooper SE comes closest to the Fiat 500e. The E version costs from 32,500 euros.

The regular Fiat 500 remains in the program

But these cars are electric offshoots, not their own e-models. The 500e is different this time. Automobile history knows at least two other electric 500s with the conventional combustion engine body. Other differences? The 500 Karabag manufactured by a German Fiat dealer are much weaker than the new 500e. An electric 500 of the same name for the Californian market gets significantly less far per battery charge.

Fiat will soon be offering a mild hybrid version and the usual combustion engine variants in the conventional 500cc body. You stay in the program, the 500e does not replace the usual 500. Fiat plans to build 80,000 electric cars a year at the Mirafiori plant in Turin. In other words, where the legendary Nuova 500 once rolled off the assembly line.

Fiat 500e (2020): First technical data