Fiat 500e electric vehicle review finds pint-sizer battles in key areas

The electric version of the pint-size Fiat 500 struggles to compete in the EV realm.

Cheap electric vehicles are seemingly an impossibility in the current market.

Despite a recent sales dip and price reductions, EVs are still expensive.

Manufacturers point to battery costs, along with the fast-tracked research and development as part of the pricing issue. There are also limited volumes, so in the supply and demand realm it’s simple economics.

Looking at the pint-sized Fiat 500e, it would be easy to assume change had arrived.

The “bambino” has been electrified but it’s no bargain basement machine. With a theoretical range of about 310km, the drive-away price for the diminutive EV is more than $55,000.

GMW recently dropped the price of its micro electric machine, the Ora, to $35,990 drive-away and it has an extra 110km of range. Meanwhile the MG4 Electric offers more than 500km and starts at $39,990 drive-away, and the BYD Dolphin is about $1500 cheaper again with a range of 490km.

That makes the 100 per cent Italian engineered and made proposition a tough one, so we put it to the test with our family to see if the little Italian could win us over.

What do you get?

Cute is complimentary. Measuring 3.6m long with a width of 1.6m, it could just about fit into the tray of a Ram ute. Yet it’s still larger than its combustion engine siblings.

Sitting confidently on 17-inch alloys, the 500e stands out from the crowd despite its stature. While white is the standard external colour, the extra $990 needed for black, red, pink, green or blue ($1600) adds personality.

Beige-coloured leather seats offer a luxury vibe, while a central 10.25-inch touchscreen, glass roof, 7-inch digital driver display, wireless charging pad and smartphone mirroring apps combine for a premium experience.

Warranty coverage is below par at just three years or 150,000km. Most mainstream cars are at least five years.

Servicing is needed annually or every 15,000km, and the cost is capped at $250 for each of the first eight maintenance visits.

Using a public DC fast charger, the 500e can reach 80 per cent from empty in 35 minutes.

Using a standard wall plug it takes about 13 hours to charge from zero to full.

Inside the 500e is funky personified, with a 10.25-inch touchscreen, glass roof, 7-inch digital driver display, wireless charging pad and smartphone mirroring apps.

How was the drive?

Drive selection buttons across the dash can be slow to initiate, yet once engaged the 500e is a nippy unit.

The 0-100km/h time of nine seconds looks slow on paper, but the instant torque provided by electric power feels quicker than the numbers indicate. Its acceleration is especially punchy in the mid-range.

Pitched by the Fiat marketing team as an “electric city car”, it’s a fair assessment with cushy suspension and easy steering. Finding a space is a cinch even in claustrophobic carparks.

Using a toggle on the console the driver can choose between ‘normal’, ‘range’ and ‘Sherpa’ modes. The latter turns off various functions like climate control and stops the driver from accelerating hard to conserve as much energy as possible.

That’s probably the only way you would achieve the claimed range of 311km, as the best we could achieve was 269km starting with 100 per cent battery.

When one-pedal driving was engaged – the function where no braking is required and can help deliver power back into the battery – the deceleration was aggressive and speed difficult to modulate on occasions.

The cabin space is a combination of thoughtful and awkward. Across the dash are refined glossy finishes and the charging pad is nicely integrated, but the centre section has just one cup holder which is located deep in the console and is difficult to access.

Buyers keen on the Fiat 500e must part with more than $55,000.

Would you buy one?

Kel: It’s cute, but I feel like for this to be my car I’d need to be an inner city gal, who wants to save the environment and puts her make-up on in the rear-vision mirror on the way to work. The size and internal quirks would cause too much frustration for me, and the range is nowhere near what I’d expect. With no kids I might be tempted but only for far less money.

Grant: Fiat has tried to gain a foothold in the Australian market over the years, but it’s always remained a niche product. Parent company Stellantis, which also includes the likes of Jeep, Maserati, Peugeot and Citroen, has stated there are plans for more affordable EVs. Price, and range, are the greatest stumbling block for the 500e. It boasts ample personality and compact appeal, but it can’t compete with cheaper rivals which exceed the bambino in just about every facet.

Originally published as Fiat 500e electric vehicle review finds pint-sizer battles in key areas