Fiat 500e electric car impresses in Europe

This compact machine is a smash hit in the northern hemisphere, delivering something missing from the affordable electric car set.

The 2023 Fiat 500e is on its way to Australia.

Being tiny hasn’t stopped the Fiat 500e EV from selling big.

Though slightly larger than Fiat’s petrol-powered 500, it likewise prioritises style over size.

European market prices for the 500e are in the same zone as a bunch of roomier and more practical small EVs from mainstream brands such as Citroen, Opel and Peugeot, none of them seen in Australia.

The 2023 Fiat 500e is one of the cutest cars on the road.

Despite its disadvantage, the Fiat was the best-selling EV in Italy last year, and third overall in total EV sales across Europe’s 10 largest markets. It’s been especially popular in Germany and Spain.

It was launched in Europe in the Covid-stricken early months of 2020 and more than 120,000 were sold from that time until the end of 2022.

Could the 500e be as successful in Australia? The Fiat is due to arrive in about August. It will be sold, initially, only in the La Prima equipment grade that’s Europe’s top-of-the-range option. It has the larger of two battery packs available there.

The Fiat 500e is available with folding fabric roof.

The 500e La Prima hatch will be $52,500, plus on-road costs, in Australia. This is a surprising price, whichever way you look at it.

The EV will be almost twice as costly as the most expensive petrol-powered Fiat 500. At the same time, the Australian price is $10,000 lower than in Italy, at the current dollar to euro exchange rate.

The cabin is retro-chic.

Though the resemblance between the 500e and the internal-combustion 500 is strong, the two are completely different cars under the skin.

Maurizio Salvia, EV propulsion system chief engineer with Fiat’s parent company, Stellantis, says the 500e is made from 95 per cent or so newly designed components. It’s a purpose-built EV, he says.

What’s more, the 500e is manufactured in Italy, while the petrol-burning 500 is built in Poland.

The 500e is built in Italy.

The EV is, if anything, even cuter than its fossil-fuelled cousin. The 500e isn’t only slightly wider, longer and taller but also a little more shapely.

The 500e also has many details that may not be noticed at first glance. For example, the phone charging tray beneath the centre screen features a silhouette view of the skyline of Turin, the city where the car is made.

The all-new instrument panel, including a responsive infotainment system touchscreen and digital instrument cluster, is attractive.

It’s mostly hard plastics, like the rest of the interior fit-out, but the visual charm mostly compensates for the low-budget materials.

Expect the 500e to cost twice as much as its petrol cousin.

Front-seat space is fine, although the passenger seat is mounted too high for tall people. The driver’s seat alone has height adjustment, which is welcome. Rear-seat room is very tight, but the cargo compartment is a useful size.

Once the 500e is switched on, selecting a gear is simply a matter of pushing one of the buttons – P, R, N and D – beneath the phone charging tray.

The Australian-market 500e has a battery pack with a gross capacity of 42kWh. Its usable capacity is about 37kWh. The EV’s driving range is a little more than 300km, though about 230km is more realistic.

The Fiat 500e delivers brisk acceleration.

Charging is a strong point. The Fiat can accept up to 85kW from a DC fast charger, which means it will charge from 10 per cent to 80 per cent in less than 30 minutes. Using a three-phase home or workplace wallbox capable of delivering 11kW, a full recharge will take about four hours.

When it comes to driving, the 500e impresses. It’s snappy off the line, though acceleration tapers off beyond 100km/h. The Fiat’s top speed is electronically limited to 150km/h.

The Fiat 500e isn’t spacious, but it is fun.

It’s quiet and comfy for a tiny car, too. There’s some tyre noise from the rear axle, noticeable only because everything else is near-silent. Ride comfort is excellent for something so small. The Fiat is good fun through corners, too. It steers neatly and the brakes feel more natural than in some more expensive EVs. And it’s quick off the mark in traffic-light drag races.

The 500’s biggest problem is that in Australia it faces stiff competition from lower priced and larger EVs from China, such as the MG4 and BYD Atto.

Though the smaller Fiat is more stylish, Australian EV buyers may prove to be less susceptible to its charms than Europeans.

FIAT 500e

PRICE: $52,500

SAFETY: Fourstars

ENGINE: single electric motor; 87kW/220Nm

RANGE: 315km

0-100KM/H: 9.0 secs

Originally published as Fiat 500e electric car impresses in Europe