After four years, the next-generation Fiat 500 is coming over to the U.S. as an EV-only model.
If you’re looking for a tiny slice of Italian fun, there’s some good news: The first examples are rolling off the Mirafiori Assembly Plant in Turin. After the last-generation 500 left our market in 2019 and the brand killed off all its other models including the 500X crossover in the following years, this may well be the last test of just how much staying power the brand has in America as both Fiat and its parent company pivot toward a fully-electric lineup in the coming years.
To that end, the 2024 Fiat 500e is revamping the brand’s marketing pitch, specifically targeting young urban customers with its latest electric offering. The company plans the initial rollout to comprise just one model, the (RED) Edition. Not only does that give you a clear idea of what the car will look like (including red-painted door mirror caps and body-colored trim nearly all the way around), but the (RED) models’ sales contribute funding to strengthen global healthcare systems, particularly in response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Stellantis says other models will emerge later in the production run, but we don’t have details on those models just yet. So, even from the outset, the new Fiat 500e’s launch is shaking out a bit differently than your typical new car.
As a small, urban car, the 2024 Fiat 500e packs a relatively modest powertrain. The new model makes progress by way of a single, front-mounted electric motor putting out 118 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque. The 42-kWh battery pack enables a driving range of around 149 miles. While that’s not the 300-plus miles of range we’ve come to expect with larger EVs, this car does have a different use case akin to, say, the Mini Cooper E (which should manage around 190 miles).
Unlike the old 500e, you will also be able to DC fast-charge this car, which Stellantis says can charge up to 80% in about 35 minutes. If you use a Level 2 AC charger, that time increases to 4 hours and 15 minutes. Fiat also includes either a Level 2 charger or public charging credits with each 500e sale.
So, what about price? When it actually reaches dealers in the next few weeks, the 2024 Fiat 500e will start at $34,095 including Fiat’s $1,595 destination fee. That excludes available tax incentives, though it is worth noting this car is not eligible for the $7,500 tax credit since Fiat builds it in Italy, rather than in North America.
We’ll have to wait and see what the take-rate is for this new 500e, and TFL will also have the opportunity to drive it right around the time it’s supposed to hit dealers (so we’ll have more detailed impressions at that point). Last year, the Fiat brand sold just 605 cars, so it will be up to this new model to stem the flow.
