Photo: Stefan Baldauf/SB-Medien
Earlier this week, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles completed an comprehensive re-tooling of the Mirafiori assembly plant in Turin. This investment will materialize next month with the all-new 500e at the Geneva Motor Show, an electric city car that will be launched in June 2020 for the 2021 model year.
Not that long ago, Fiat announced five billion euros of investment for the automaker’s Italian manufacturing operations by 2021. A part of that sum went towards Maserati, which will electrify the Ghibli luxury sports sedan this year. As you expect, other models will soon follow suit.
Spied once more testing in sub-zero weather in Sweden, the 500e is a dedicated electric vehicle from the ground up. Fiat confirmed the BEV platform of the second-generation model in 2018, further adding that the vehicle architecture is “capable of scaling to other applications worldwide.”
To be sold alongside the internal combustion-engined 500 that has recently received a mild-hybrid powertrain, the 500e is expected to return to the United States as a 2021 model. That’s an interesting prospect given that the 500 was discontinued last year over dwindling sales. The thing is, the only competitor for the 500e in this part of the world is the smart EQ line of electric vehicles.
Even though the newcomer won’t challenge the likes of the Tesla Model 3 in terms of range, it’s safe to assume that Fiat has developed the 500e to hold its own against the aforementioned competitor and the Honda e. The WLTP rating for the Japanese interloper is 220 kilometers (137 miles) from 35.5 kWh of battery capacity. Given these circumstances, it’s safe to assume the 500e Gen 2 will be an urban dweller instead of a long-range electric vehicle like the Tesla.
Two other rivals worth mentioning are the MINI Cooper SE and BMW i3s 120 Ah, featuring 234 kilometers (145 miles) and 310 kilometers (193 miles), respectively. On that note, here’s hope the 500e will be a little more affordable than its predecessor. The 2019 model year – which is still listed on the Fiat U.S. configurator – starts at $33,460 before taxes and savings.
Spied once more testing in sub-zero weather in Sweden, the 500e is a dedicated electric vehicle from the ground up. Fiat confirmed the BEV platform of the second-generation model in 2018, further adding that the vehicle architecture is “capable of scaling to other applications worldwide.”
To be sold alongside the internal combustion-engined 500 that has recently received a mild-hybrid powertrain, the 500e is expected to return to the United States as a 2021 model. That’s an interesting prospect given that the 500 was discontinued last year over dwindling sales. The thing is, the only competitor for the 500e in this part of the world is the smart EQ line of electric vehicles.
Even though the newcomer won’t challenge the likes of the Tesla Model 3 in terms of range, it’s safe to assume that Fiat has developed the 500e to hold its own against the aforementioned competitor and the Honda e. The WLTP rating for the Japanese interloper is 220 kilometers (137 miles) from 35.5 kWh of battery capacity. Given these circumstances, it’s safe to assume the 500e Gen 2 will be an urban dweller instead of a long-range electric vehicle like the Tesla.
Two other rivals worth mentioning are the MINI Cooper SE and BMW i3s 120 Ah, featuring 234 kilometers (145 miles) and 310 kilometers (193 miles), respectively. On that note, here’s hope the 500e will be a little more affordable than its predecessor. The 2019 model year – which is still listed on the Fiat U.S. configurator – starts at $33,460 before taxes and savings.
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