Fiat 500e EV Revealed at LA Auto Show
Fiat will offer an all-electric version of its 500 hatchback for North America starting in 2024. To celebrate, the company brought a trio of fashion-inspired special editions to this year’s LA Auto Show.
Stellantis’ model features a 117-hp electric motor and a battery that offers up to 199 miles of range. It’ll likely get the same driving dynamics as the traditional model, too.
Price
With gas prices on the rise and high-profile drivers like Leonardo DiCaprio calling for an end to fossil fuels, it seems a good time for Fiat to make another play at winning over American buyers with an EV. The brand isn’t revealing much about the new 2024 500e, but it will likely use the same platform as the electric version of the car that debuted in Europe this year.
In that model, a front-mounted motor produces 117 horsepower and 220 Newton meters (162 pound-feet) of torque. A more potent Abarth variant will also premiere later this year, but we’re not sure whether the US will get it.
The battery pack in the 500e will offer up to 199 miles of driving range per the European WLTP cycle’s estimates. That’s a hard number to beat in the real world, though, and we expect to see a more practical 150-mile figure from the North American-bound 500e.
As with the gas-powered 500 that relaunched Fiat in the US, this tiny electric vehicle will be sold with an extensive roster of standard technology and safety features. The 2024 500e will offer Level 2 autonomy, which allows the driver to operate the car in certain situations using steering assist and adaptive cruise control. In addition, the 500e will include a wide array of passive safety measures to help it earn 4 out of 5 stars in Euro NCAP crash tests.
Number of Seats
Fiat has a strong history with small cars, so it makes sense that it would bring its diminutive electric 500 back to North America. This new model isn’t just an efficient commuter — it’s also a fashionable accessory, with little nods to the brand’s Italian heritage all over the interior.
The only thing that really separates the new 500e from the subcompact gas-powered car is its 117-horsepower electric motor and battery pack. Its EPA-rated range is 150 miles, which should be plenty of juice for many urban drivers. Fiat will sell the 500e as a two-door hatchback and a cabriolet.
Stellantis’ Fiat division hasn’t been a major player in the American EV market, but it thinks the 500e can change that. It will be available in select cities starting in early 2024 and will be offered through a virtual showroom called the Metaverse Store.
To help draw attention to the 500e, Stellantis has tweaked the exterior a bit with new front and rear fascias, as well as unique wheels. Inside, the 500e gets a floating 10-inch infotainment screen running its own version of uConnect. A wireless phone charger and USB power ports sit on a pad under the display, while drive controls are down low and easy to reach. Fiat will also offer a variety of interior colors and trim levels.
0 to 60 mph
Fiat is keeping quiet about the performance and range of the new 2024 500e, which has a larger battery pack than its predecessor. But it should have more juice than the Mini Cooper SE and Nissan Leaf.
The last generation of the 500e had a range of about 84-87 miles, which was enough for a lot of commuters. The car was a compliance model that helped Fiat Chrysler earn clean-energy credits in the United States. Former CEO Sergio Marchionne even said he hoped nobody bought one, because the company lost $14,000 per car.
With a bigger battery pack and 117-horsepower electric motor, the new 500e should be able to get to 60 mph in just over nine seconds flat. It will use DC fast charging to replenish the battery from empty to 80 percent in 35 minutes.
The 500e should also be more comfortable on the highway and at high speeds. Unlike the last generation, it has a smoother suspension and a more powerful engine. Hopefully, that will help it compete with more sophisticated competitors in the EV market. It’s still too early to know what will be included in the US version of the 500e, but we can expect a large 10.3-inch infotainment touchscreen with the latest uConnect software and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A digital gauge display will also likely be standard, showing the driver’s speed and the state of charge for the battery.
Battery
Fiat hasn’t released a full list of the 2024 500e’s standard and optional features, but it seems likely to come with a large 10.3-inch infotainment touchscreen that runs Uconnect 5. A digital gauge display is also probably on the menu.
The 500e’s battery is rated at 42 kWh, which gives it a driving range of up to 199 miles. That’s better than the circa-130-mile range of the Mini Electric and Honda EV, as well as the 160-mile figure of the VW e-Up. In Sherpa mode (which switches off air-con and limits power and top speed, as well as triggering one-pedal driving), Fiat says you can stretch the range to around 280 miles.
You can also plug the 500e into a Level 3 DC fast charger and get an 80% charge in about 30 minutes. On a regular home AC plug, it takes about 6 hours to go from empty to fully charged.
The subcompact EV market is crowded with offerings from the likes of the Chevrolet Bolt, Hyundai Kona, and Nissan Leaf, so the big question for this car will be how much it costs, how quickly it can accelerate, and how good its battery life is. If it can manage to hit all those marks, the 500e might be able to win some buyers away from these more established rivals. https://www.youtube.com/embed/xSfc1-TG36k