Everything You Need To Know About Fiat's New Affordable Tiny EV

Italian automaker Fiat and parent company Stellantis are bringing back the 500e to America in purely electric form. Its gasoline counterpart, the 500, debuted in the North American market in 2011, but Fiat pulled the plug by 2020 due to lagging sales. At that moment, the next-gen 500 came to Europe wearing a slightly bigger body, a longer wheelbase, and an all-electric version called the 500e.

The original 500e (which rides on the old 500 platform) came to the U.S. market in limited numbers with an anemic 111-horsepower electric motor. The second-gen 500e has a more potent electric motor with 118 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque and a few quirky features to commensurate the throwback vibes.

It still resembles the old 500 of yore, but the new 500e is longer, wider, and has updated LED headlights and taillights. It also has a redesigned front grille, e-latch aero-optimized door handles, and bespoke 17-inch diamond-cut wheels. Since it is an electric car, the new 500e has an "acoustic vehicle alert system" that "sings" a song to pedestrians, essentially turning what could have been an annoying sound into "a taste of Italian culture."

The new Fiat 500e has a 42 kWh high-voltage battery that delivers 149 miles (240 km) of estimated driving range. The range numbers are mediocre compared to other low-range electric cars like the Volvo XC40 Recharge (dual-motor, 254 miles) or Nissan Leaf SV Plus (215 miles), and the performance numbers are middling: Fiat claims zero to 60 mph in 8.5 seconds — not bad but not enough to set your pants on fire.

The Fiat 500e has three driving modes. Normal is for everyday driving, while Range activates one-pedal driving. The Sherpa driving mode limits the speed to 50 mph to squeeze out every ounce of range from the batteries.

When the battery runs dry, the Fiat 500e accepts up to 85 kWh of DC fast-charging, replenishing the juice at 31 miles per five minutes or zero to 80% in 35 minutes. In addition, it has a standard 11 kW on-board charger that accepts Level 2 recharging, enough to go from zero to 100% in about four hours and 15 minutes. Every Fiat 500e comes with a home box charger or Free2Move Charge recharging credits, the newest recharging ecosystem of parent company Stellantis.

The all-new Fiat 500e will go on sale in early 2024, with base prices starting at $32,500 (not including the $1,595 destination charge). It will arrive at dealerships in a single initial variant, the 500e (RED), a collaboration with U2 frontman Bono and Bobby Shriver to fight the AIDS epidemic. The package includes bright red paint, red-painted wing mirrors, LED headlights, and a red-themed dashboard.

The standard equipment includes a 10.3-inch infotainment touchscreen powered by the latest Uconnect 5 software, a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and wireless smartphone charging. Moreover, the 500e has advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) like automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and lane-keeping assist.

Stellantis North America

It's hard to expect an extra-long driving range from a tiny electric car. Adding more range means adding more batteries, something that's difficult to manage in a pint-sized EV. But the new Fiat 500e shines with its vintage style and premium-looking cabin.