Fiat 500e Revealed For North America As GM Small EV Rival
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Stellantis has just unveiled the Fiat 500e at the 2022 Los Angeles Auto Show, which could potentially serve as a rival to the Chevy Bolt EV.
Not many details were given during the presentation, but specifications about the European-spec electric Fiat 500 are known. In that market, the Fiat 500 EV uses a 42 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, yielding a range up to 320 kilometers (198 miles) using the WLTP test protocol. Charge speeds of up to 85 kW can replenish the battery to 80 percent in 35 minutes.
Additionally, the European Fiat 500 boasts level 2 semi-autonomous driving and connectivity, where driver interaction to change lanes or avoid hazards is still needed.
Representing Fiat’s newfound electrification efforts, the Fiat 500e will be sold in the North American market. This is significant, as the Fiat 500 hatchback was pulled from North American shores back in 2019, while the 500L and 124 Spider have disappeared from the lineup as well, leaving the 500X subcompact crossover as the only model available for now. As it stands, the Fiat 500e is expected to arrive in spring of 2024 as a 2024 or 2025 model.
“Today, more than ever, we are facing a global revolution, which means that customers are looking for more than just a car and we intend to embrace their changing needs,” FIAT CEO and CMO global of Stellantis Olivier Francois. “The new 500e is more than a car, it is a social project to feed America’s appetite for change toward sustainable mobility”
The most suitable GM EV rival to the new 500e would be the Chevy Bolt EV. However, as of the time of this writing, it is currently unknown if the Bolt EV will still be available on the market by then, or if it will be replaced by an Ultium-based crossover.
Chevy Bolt EV
Regardless, GM is in the process of launching small, affordable EVs by 2027 with Honda. The result of another collaboration with the Japanese automaker are the upcoming Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX crossovers, both based on GM Ultium battery and Ultium Drive motor technology.
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A future rival to the Bolt? This Fiat has already tried to establish its niche in America yet has been ignored by the vast majority of EV shoppers.
The only electric Fiat 500 available in the USA was a compliance car. Even with limited range is was a really nice car. The cool 500e being sold in Europe currently never came here.
So far in 2022 Fiat USA has sold a whopping 801 vehicles. Nobody will buy this car.
I think the dealer network has lost interest in FIAT. My local Stellantis dealer took down it’s illuminated FIAT sign and replaced it with a JEEP sign. If you didn’t know, you would have no idea that anything FIAT could be had there.
I would have said a spark EV competitor, if Chevy was still making that. I had a Spark EV as my commuter for a few years and it was doable even though it only had 86miles range. I had charging at work. But then my work relocated, and charging wasn’t as easy. But 150miles range is useable for most commuters needs. But,…
The Fiat 500e is a tiny car compared to the Bolt and significantly less range.
It’s going to have to be really cheap to find many buyers. Like $20k or less. But I’m guessing this is an import? So wouldn’t quality for the tax credits.
They should do a 124 Spider EV.
FIAT gets a bad rap. On rental had the 500 X and liked it a lot aside from poor gas mileage. Failed to find the various flaws noted by critics. Was better than anything produced by Ford.
If the quality of this new Fiat EV is anything like its’ ICE cars, it will just be another JUNK CAR from Fiat, with poor reliability.
I’m afraid it’s too little, too late for Fiat stateside. They seriously shouldn’t have expected an SUV enriched nation too scoop up all of their matchbox sized you cars. The spider was the only thing they had going for them, and it was nothing more than a rebadged Miata.