Ciao bella: Fiat 500 goes electric

The first fully electric car from Fiat and its parent Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, the Fiat 500 is coming home to Italy, and will be built at the firm’s famous Mirafiori facility in Turin, writes Sean O’Grady

Sean O'Grady
Friday 13 March 2020 14:43 GMT
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It takes only five minutes to build up a sufficient energy reserve to travel 30 miles, more than the average daily commute
It takes only five minutes to build up a sufficient energy reserve to travel 30 miles, more than the average daily commute

In a world where there doesn’t seem much to be cheerful about, what better to put a smile on your face than a Fiat 500 – and a new electric Fiat 500 at that?

Had the Geneva International Motor Show not been cancelled, then this completely new generation 500 would surely have been one of the stars. As you see, it has the basic cute retro styling that has made the 500 such a success since it was introduced (as a revived model) in 2007, echoing that diminutive 1957 original.

What’s new? Lots, and much of it highly significant. Most important, it’s the first fully electric car from Fiat and its parent Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). It will offer a range of “up to” 199 miles (in the new real world testing standard), with fast charging capability, and you can clamber into one for some £29,000 (include the government green car grant). Admittedly that is expensive by the standards of past Fiat 500s and Cinquecentos of whatever era; but bear in mind that the car will have much lower running costs for fuel and maintenance. And, of course, you will be doing something for this dear old planet of ours.

The cabrio variant will be the first fully electric four-seater convertible to go on sale – beating Tesla and others, you could say. The New 500 boasts acceleration from zero to 62mph in 9 seconds, zero to 31mph in 3.1 seconds and a 93mph top speed.

As with the petrol and diesel versions of the older 500 cars, the new gen 500 should be highly economical to buy and run – but it will command a bit of a premium over its duller-looking rivals just for its looks and sense of Italian style. The current Ford Ka, for example, is built in the same Polish factory as the current (soon to be replaced) 500 model.

That too is about to change. The Fiat 500 is also coming home to Italy, and will be built at the firm’s famous Mirafiori facility in Turin (coronavirus crisis permitting). So those Italian flags they sometimes festoon it with will have a touch more authenticity about them. Indeed, they are leveraging Italy’s deserved reputation for excellence in style, creativity and craftsmanship to create three unique versions of the New 500 – by Giorgio Armani, Bvlgari and Kartell respectively. Three one-offs are to be auctioned for charity: the 500 Giorgio Armani, the B.500 “Mai Troppo” (Never Too Much) by Bvlgari and the 500 Kartell.

Range and charging times are obviously key considerations for customers. The lithium-ion batteries, similar to those found in laptops, with a capacity of 42kWh, give the New 500 a range of up to 199 miles in the “real world” WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test procedure) cycle. To optimise charging time, the New 500 is equipped with an 85kW fast charge system. It takes only five minutes to build up a sufficient energy reserve to travel 30 miles, more than the average daily commute. Using a fast charger can also power the battery to 80 per cent in just 35 minutes. The Combo 2 socket, located on the rear right-side panel of the car, has the ability to accept both AC and DC charging.

Home charging solutions are also available with the car (or you can of course arrange for your own). The launch edition of the New 500 comes complete with an “Easy Wallbox”, a home charging system that can simply be connected to a normal home outlet. This simple, accessible “plug-and-charge” solution can be managed easily via Bluetooth. It can stabilise energy load by charging a 500 at home with up to 3kW of charging power, without the need for professional installation. This, though, is only the same trickle of charge as you’d get from plugging it into your mains, and will take half a day to charge the car fully. Alternatively, and probably better, the Easy Wallbox can be upgraded to 7.4kW, providing a full charge at home in just over six hours. The New 500 also comes with a Mode 3 cable for charging at up to 11kW from a public charge point.

Drivers’ “range anxiety” may be assuaged by the 500’s new “Sherpa mode”. This optimises the available resources (battery power) to reduce fuel consumption to a minimum, enabling it to reach the destination set on the navigation system or the nearest charging station. Just like a “Himalayan Sherpa”, who is in charge of the whole expedition and is a guide to the destination, this driving mode adjusts various parameters: maximum speed is limited to 50mph; accelerator response is managed in order to reduce energy consumption; and deactivation of both the climate control system and heated seats (the driver has the option of activating them at any time).

“Normal” mode is as close as possible to driving a vehicle with a normal combustion engine, while “Range” mode activates the “one-pedal-drive” function. By selecting this driving mode, the new 500 can be driven with the accelerator pedal alone. Releasing the accelerator causes much greater deceleration than with a normal combustion engine, almost as if the brake pedal was pushed. The brake pedal must be used to bring the car to a complete stop; however, with daily use and a little experience, it is possible to drive using just the accelerator pedal.

Initially unveiled in top specification guise – “La Prima” – pre-orders for the Fiat 500 begin now, at £29,000 on the road. Note, though, that all-electric city cars from Mini, Smart, Skoda, Seat and VW are also either on sale now or will soon be available.

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