Are you tired of big EVs that weigh as much as a tower block and cost as much as the moon? Yeah, me too. That’s why it’s exciting to hear that the 2024 Fiat 500e weighs just 2,952 pounds. How on earth did Fiat do that? Well, there are some sacrifices made to keep the weight and footprint down, but it isn’t all bad news. In fact, it might just make this little electric car perfect for urbanites at a price they can afford.
For those keeping track, this is the second Fiat 500e sold in America. The first was a compliance car with just 84 miles of range that was a loss leader for then-Fiat Chrysler. I guess if they took a bath on electric Fiats, they’d be able to sell more Hellcats and all that sort of stuff [Ed Note: Actually, all automakers selling vehicles in California were required to sell an EV, so FCA sucked it up and offered the loss-leading 500e. -DT]. Regardless, Reuters reports that then-CEO Sergio Marchionne told people to not buy it, which leaves the old 500e with quite the interesting legacy.
However, the Hellcat is dead, the 500e is reborn, and it really couldn’t have come at a better time for Stellantis. After all, the Chevrolet Bolt is set to temporarily shuffle off this mortal coil when the calendar year ends, the Nissan Leaf is, um, not great, and the current Mini Cooper SE isn’t exactly a range king.
Granted, neither is the Fiat 500e. Promising just 149 miles of range, that’s only 35 miles more than what the current Mini offers. However, when you’re playing in the shallow end of the range pool, every mile counts. Besides, there’s more to an EV than sheer range — it matters how quickly you can juice up the battery pack when on the road. With that in mind, the 42 kWh “Nickel Manganese Cobalt” lithium0ion battery pack in the 2024 Fiat 500e supports CCS DC fast charging at up to 85 kW. That’s not a massive number, but this isn’t a massive battery pack.
Power output isn’t massive either. The front-wheel-drive 500e puts out just 118 horsepower and 162 lb.-ft. of torque. Zero-to-60 mph happens in a claimed 8.5 seconds, but top speed is a fairly low 94 mph. Never mind that most people won’t go any faster than that, the performance figures of the 500e just aren’t giant-slaying like some might expect from an electric car. That’s okay though, as they don’t have to be. Hell, it also seems perfectly fine that the 2024 Fiat 500e sports drum brakes and a twist beam out back. This thing’s all about style and affordability, two things it has in spades.
The old, rear-engined Fiat 500 of the 1950s is a style icon, and the reborn front-wheel-drive car that went off sale a few years ago reinvented it perfectly. However, as many manufacturers will tell you, getting a second retro rebirth right is a tricky thing. Get it right, and you end up with something like the 2007 Mini Cooper. Get it wrong, and you’ll end up with something glued to the showroom floor. Happily, the 2024 Fiat 500e doesn’t mess too much with a good thing, instead refining it just enough to add a little extra modernity.
Compared to the previous car, the new car stays compact but looks a whole lot more expensive. The daytime running lights in the hood that complete a circular light signature imbue the car with a cute yet feisty face, while touches like the recessed door handles, faceted taillights, and frosted tricolore emblems add a dose of class.
To start, the 2024 Fiat 500e will only come in a special RED trim that supports the fight against AIDS, which you can have in any color so long as it’s red, but that includes a ton of kit as standard. I’m talking LED headlights, automatic climate control, wireless phone charging, a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a seven-inch digital cluster, alloy wheels, automatic wipers, and all the stuff you’d expect in a posh city car.
Then there’s the design of the interior, a festival of minimalism and painted surfaces that doesn’t totally eschew physical controls. Beneath the touchscreen, a set of buttons allow hotkey access to everything from the climate control to the power door locks, while a volume scroll wheel takes up residence in the center console next to the drive mode selector and electronic parking brake. I’m particularly fond of the truncated center console that allows step-through access to the driver’s seat from the curbside while opening up the cabin. Oh, and the embossed seat fabric covering seats for four in a pinch? Fabulous, in Italian tradition.
So, the 2024 Fiat 500e is cute and should have enough range for urbanites, but what about affordability? Well, this small electric car with all the amenities most people could realistically want stickers for $34,095 including a $1,595 freight charge. Admittedly, that’s not quite as good as the Chevrolet Bolt, but the Chevrolet soon won’t be an option. It’s worth noting that the 500e probably won’t qualify for any tax incentives if you purchase it outright or finance it, but the leasing loophole is still open, so with some clever accounting, it may effectively cost well under $30,000. A brand new EV for sensible money? Sure, why not.
If you live in Canada, things aren’t quite as affordable with a price tag of $39,995 excluding an unspecified freight charge, but due to the lopsided EV pricing landscape up there, the 500e will still be one of the most affordable EVs in Canada when it goes on sale in British Columbia and Quebec early next year.
Oh yeah, expect the 2024 Fiat 500e to go on sale in early 2024 as a 2024 model. While it certainly isn’t looking like the right EV for everyone, those who can live with 149 miles of range and want a stylish little urban runabout are sure to be stoked. With the affordable side of the American EV market soon to be a bit of a wasteland, this might just be what Fiat needs to survive in America.
(Photo credits: Fiat)
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Though this looks cool for what it is, I just don’t get the value prop. Personally, not a huge Tesla fan, but it would be hard to justify not spending $4,000 more if you could swing it for a Model 3 (or closer to the same price with tax incentives).
You buy it for the style. The wheels and dash and the front fascia are great. I wish it came with a hemi, though.
Makes sense. It’s just a pretty nice premium on style is all
It can be argued that all CEOs are jackasses, but for the people that don’t want to be seen as Tesla/Musk fanboys this could work.
Literally nobody cares about that except the chronically online
With inventory discounts its closer to 2k or less difference, and you get almost double the range, and NOW so you get the $7500 rebate, which I doubt this will qualify for any portion of.
My household might actually be in the running for one of these, depending on what it drives like.
The issues I see here are the price and the acceleration. 8.5 seconds isn’t the worst thing in the world, but I think for a small car that’s an EV… it should at least be able to do 7-ish and then they can come out with an Abarth version which would do it in 5ish seconds.
Those lights make it look sleepy, or maybe annoyed it hasn’t had coffee yet.
At 2900lb and only 118HP, this is going to be slower than a hybrid CRZ, which new cost $10k less and give you a ton more practicality.
Too expensive to be a cheap city EV, but better than nothing I guess? I’d much rather see a Panda EV available here for low to mid-20s.
Any mention of a convertible version?
Not sure it’s for urbanites as the range isn’t enough to get them around all week between a weekly charge, or they’re having to charge every day, that said, THAT SAID, I want more of this. Small retro EVs in different style options:
Honda please give bring over the cool E.
VW build the E-Bugster we were promised.
Dodge build us a Neon(I mean, c’mon!, the name alone sells it!)
The e is dead as if today. At least in Europe
Well crudmuffins. Ok they can build an E-Sol. 🙂
Were I in the market for an EV, this would be near the top of the list. Range is in the sweet spot for 98% of my day-to-day driving, it sounds like I could easily and quickly charge it at work, the back seat would always be down so I can make the grocery run, and it’s h*ckin adorable. Can I get it in red? (jkjk)
I’m a big fan, it seems to me to be a big breath of fresh air. Clean styling, without being over-styled like any new Toyota or Subaru product. Clean interior with hard buttons, and somewhat integrated touch screen. Just a zippy around-town car that is pleasing to the eye; which would make a great second car for most in the suburbs and a pretty decent single car for someone in an urban setting. The range is acceptable for the aforementioned around-town use. The only hang-up is the price, kinda steep for such a small, limited-in-scope, vehicle. I suspect most will go with much bigger CUVs, but the ones who opt for this will love it.
The range and performance are fine and it looks OK, but for $34k? Oof. That’s sniffing distance to a basic Model 3 ($36k pre-credit) with a lot more range and better performance.
Stupid electric only door handles strike again.
At least the interior has manual backups but they won’t do shit if something or someone (like a baby or pet) is inside with a dead 12v battery and you’re outside.
Completely irrelevant tangent below:
What did the R50/R53 MINIs do to avoid the shout out? I don’t know a ton about nuMinis, but as far as I’m aware, the ’07+ R56s are ones you specifically want to avoid as they have a nasty habit of exploding their engines and if you are unfortunate enough to own one with an automatic transmissions, you should know they are made of glass and hand grenades.
DOA. 149 miles of range is unacceptable for more than $30k
I would have been onboard if this damn thing hand mechanical door handles both inside and outside (currently it has mechanical backups for the inside).
Disagree. My family of four rarely travels more than 60 miles from home. We could drive this thing for years on home charging. This would be perfect for my high schooler if I could swing a 30K teen car (in my area people spend that on landscaping)
50% of the space of a Bolt with 60% of the range for 150% of the price (after tax rebates). They’ll sell dozens of them!
The bolt won’t get you laid. This might.
If you’re paying $10K to get laid, you’re overspending.
It’ll amortize out!
No way the Bolt reboot will be the same price as the current car.
Agreed. If it’s $25K I’d be like shut up and take my money for a 2nd car/beater/runabout.
The group of people urban enough to appreciate the small size and not mind the pitiful range, yet also with home charging or convenient street plugs, seems like it might be a small one.
City cars in general are a tough sell here; it seems like they’d be doubly so as an electric.
Why am I thinking a car like this would be perfect for older people that don’t travel much. They are more likely to have the funds to afford a new car. But I also expect that most would never be interested in this as they want to continue buying their Buick Envisions…
Most older people I know don’t want to stoop and contort themselves into a tiny car.
I’ll venture to say a lot of them don’t want to learn the ins and outs of an EV after driving gas cars for decades.
There’s a reason non-offensive and easy-to-get-into cars like Buick Envisions sell well to the elderly.
I agree on your first point.
But learn the ins and outs of an EV? What’s there to learn. Plug it in when you get home; bam. Done.
If you can plug in at home every single day, sure.
But read the article from DT about attempting to charge his Leaf publicly. Then imagine a 75 year old trying to navigate a maze of apps, payment methods, charging standards, etc. My parents aren’t even that old and I already know this wouldn’t go well.
And now let’s close this circle and remember I specifically mentioned older people that don’t travel much.
which only steepens the learning curve due to lack of practice. That automatic regenerative braking has got to take some practice.
They’re old, not mentally deficient. If they can’t master plugging it in each night and regenerative braking, they likely shouldn’t be driving at all.
there seems to be a point when a lot of people do not want to unlearn one thing and learn another. Being “set in their ways” would not make them mentally deficient either. I’m also a proponent of yearly driving tests after 65 or so because many of them probably shouldn’t be driving.
“Here” being very subjective. These were never intended for Midwest farm life or rural life in general. There are not for folks who drive hundreds of miles to shop at the nearest big box store, these are intended for big city life with the occasional short trip to pick a few token apples or whatever it is big city people do when they’re not in the big city.
That is definitely what they are intended for, my point is simply that those types of city cars have never been popular “here”, meaning the United States.
And the charging issue is not likely to improve popularity.
I dig it, though obviously without incentives the price is pretty hard to accept. Range is acceptable for it’s use case; this is a city car/second car situation. The styling is still nice in that they managed to tweak it without making the car go from friendly to full rage. Instead it’s got more of an Aubrey Plaza-esque mood to it, which I can get behind.
Like everyone else here, curious what the lease situation will be.
If they have a $299 lease special, sure why not. But the lack of dealerships and having to deal with my local CDJR dealer, hard pass.
Bring back the $99 lease deal and we’ll talk.
I need the car in between the Topolino and the 500e, something less spartan but keeping the range plus a real trunk
I was thinking how they could just star making EVs without a trunk only a generous frunk, that would keep good ratings and not sacrifice style and cabin interior for passengers
I would give serious consideration to this car.
I’m disappointed that the range isn’t longer, but physics is a hard taskmaster. Quality-wise it’s a big step up from my first-gen 500e, and sports nearly twice the range but the real upgrade is the fast charging capability, which the compliance model lacks. The new model should charge from 10 – 80% in 30 minutes or so, and that’s a huge benefit over the 3 hours it takes mine, sipping on a Level 2 charger. That makes a day trip of up to 300 miles round trip a breeze.
And the small motor isn’t nearly the limitation that it seems like on paper. It’s the same motor as in the first-gen and I have to be careful not to bark the tires when I accelerate from a stop. Sure the 0-60 time isn’t great, but the 0-30 time and decent handling makes it a hoot to drive!
I like cheerful cheap cars, but this isn’t particularly cheap. And that face…with the mascara DRLs, the outboard beauty marks, and that grill thing…I dunno: it looks like a demented beauty-pageant aspirant
Spam alert sent to tips already.
I’m sure not going to click the link
I’m good with the range. Needs Abarth.
Definitely needs Abarth—but, what about the glorious sound they make? That would just be annoying & cringey played through a speaker.
I straight-up accosted a young lady at a gas station when they first came out: “Hey! Not tryin’ to be a creeper here….would you play its song for me—please?” from a good distance. Siren call for a gearhead right there!
https://www.theautopian.com/abarth-500e-first-look/
I had forgotten that. On 3rd look, I’m now getting a vibe I’m not even going to describe because I find it disturbing and don’t want to put it in other’s heads. Darker hues look ok tho.
This thing is hilariously over priced
Wat that Canadian pricing in local currency or actual money? Because if the currency converter I Googled up is correct, “$”39,995 is $29,502.47 at the mid-morning exchange rate of 1.00000 CAD = 0.73765 USD. I doubt the destination charge is going to be anywhere near five grand, even if the truckers go all south-of-the-border batshit again.
$35k?? Oof!
Thanks but I’ll take my 500e as a used Gen1 for $5k.
You got a good deal at $5k.
Oh I haven’t bought one. I just see them and other older compliance EVs come up in that range sometimes.
Even so its hard to justify buying one based on cost savings. Electricity in my area is expensive so even at the cheapest rates one is likely better off with a non plug in hybrid.
You have to use it enough for it to pay off, and the batteries do have a shelf life, not just a cycle life.
That’s why I bought a desulfonator for my ICE cars.
$5K? I got one for my teenage daughter last year for a bit more than that. Great option for teenager. Can’t run off to Vegas in it, for example…
They’re currently in the $7-$8k range in my area. That’s not counting any rebates, our 9%+ sales tax and other whatnot though.
If this car were designed to be less “cute” and more slippery, potential exists to increase that range to 250 miles per charge on the highway without adding extra battery. In fact, an increased wheelbase would make it even more spacious and practical, while facilitating this change. By the description given, the Tesla Model 3 is a significantly more efficient car at highway speeds, in spite of being much larger and heavier.
Such a change wouldn’t be fitting for the designation 500, but perhaps a revival of the 124 would be in order? It could take design cues from the extra slippery Fiat Turbina and attempt to replicate its aero, in the name of maximizing the range per dollar of battery.
While I also prefer efficient highway cruisers, I think city cars are a legitimate niche. The 500’s stocky wheelbase reduces range, but also ensures you can cram the car into spaces you otherwise couldn’t, and perform U-turns you otherwise shouldn’t.
“ perform U-turns you otherwise shouldn’t.”
I can verify the accuracy of this statement ]:-}. My first gen compliance model is a hoot to zip around in.
Spark EV?
Nope – FIAT 500e 🙂
Ah. Well the ICE version is a gas too.
As well it should be! There’s a 500 Abarth that I see around here pretty frequently and it’s fantastic watching/hearing it rip around.
Agreed. For a regular automobile I want the wheelbase to be as short as possible so I can minimize my turning circle, have a lighter weight vehicle, etc.
Realistically the only situation I’d want a long wheelbase is for sleeping. Something like a 6ft+ long bed pickup so I can put a twin mattress in the back with a camper top so I have a portable bedroom, and even then if it’s a “full size” Truck I’d want a single cab 6ft bed provided I can get 3 abreast seating.
Take the mechanicals and slap it into a slippery sedan body? Oh heck yes! 250 miles (160 realistic) would be plenty for my uses. In inclement weather charging it to full would be fine.