The Fiat 500 remains one of the most beloved city cars in Europe. The new Fiat 500e was unveiled late last year, and the Stellantis group promoted it as the first electric model of the Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles. But you don't need to read the group's press releases to understand that the new Fiat 500e also retains the special character that has brought it a success over time.
Unlike the version intended for the US public, the new Fiat 500e can be ordered in two power versions. At the same time, the battery has almost double the storage capacity, and the charging power has been greatly improved. Fiat officials say the company's engineers started with a white sheet of paper when they designed the new Fiat 500e electric car, but they are not so convinced that they did not put the sketch of the old city model behind that sheet. And I say that because the new model doesn't stray to far from the features we were already used to.
Renault Zoe, Honda e and Mini Cooper SE, the electric version of the British hatchback, also travel through the same waters. However, you need to keep in mind that these models are larger and naturally more expensive than the 500 electric ones.
The basic Fiat 500e will be equipped with a 95 hp and 220 Nm engine, while the electric motor of the top of the range develops 118 horsepower, but also 220 Nm. Depending on the chosen engine, Fiat puts two batteries on the table: 23.8 kWh for the slower engine, respectively 42 kWh for the 118 horsepower variant.
In the version with a 42 kWh battery (37.3 kWh net), the Fiat 500e can cover, according to tests performed by Italians, up to 314 kilometres. In the case of the Cabrio version, the maximum range decreases to 303 kilometres. Depending on your needs and the driving style you want to approach, the Fiat 500e can change its spirit in three ways: Normal, Range and Sherpa.
Unlike the brothers in the same segment, the Fiat 500e has a fast-charging system at 85 kW. It is the most powerful DC system in the mini class. At such an outlet, you will need only 35 minutes to charge the battery from 0 to 80%. On the basic equipment version (Action) available only with the 95 hp engine, Fiat introduces a fast-charging system at 50 kW. In this case, the Italians have not yet communicated a time for recharging from 0 to 80%.
Euro NCAP has not yet got its hands on the new 500e, but we expect the safety test to come in the coming months. Until we have the results of Euro NCAP, I can only tell you what are the modern systems that the Italians introduced with the new 500e. The electric model will be equipped as standard with an automatic emergency braking system capable of recognizing pedestrians and cyclists, with a driver monitoring system, with technology for identifying traffic lights, but also with a system that warns and pulls your sleeve then when you cross the lines that delimit the tread.