The famous city car Fiat 500e got rid of its boring engine and achieved a lot by switching to electric
With the launch of the Fiat 500e, Fiat as a brand escaped from some mistakes in some of its cars, and although this Italian brand managed to push it to the world and the United States, it gave us in particular the 500 family and the wonderful 124 Spider lineup. The Fiat 500 was classic, contemporary , and most importantly a quintessential urban ride. And when Fiat decided to pull the siphon to bury the ICE combustion engine in its Fiat 500, we had to take the news with a pinch of salt.
Turns out it wasn’t needed after all!
The entire Fiat 500 range has been converted to fully electric cars.
It all started in 2013 when Fiat tried an all-electric iteration of the iconic 500, along with modest iterations of its ICE combustion engine.
Conditions were not convincing at the time, and remained so until 2019. That is why the Fiat 500e was discontinued in the United States.
But they have improved the 500 electric car, and made it even better over the years, making it very popular in European countries.
Now, the 500 lineup has electric technology, and
Fiat has gotten rid of the ‘e’ because it’s now a common factor.
But it made some interesting changes with its lively city performance and wide driving range.
It is a Mini Cooper SE.
Its current main competitor, which has also taken the electric route.
The
2021 Fiat 500e just got better in terms of driving dynamics, features and fresh urban performance.
The switch to electrification has brought many benefits to this popular city car.
Fiat 500e with two transmission options
We were absolutely shocked to learn the fact that there would be no more fast Fiat Abarth 500.
But with ICE combustion engines out of the way, Fiat has already opened up more room for improvement and away from extremely boring combustion engines.
At the very least, she was giving us a lackluster performance.
This is a big change with the new duo of electric powertrain options.
The Fiat 500e comes with a base battery pack that’s very modest in performance, at 24 kWh, and is fueled further toward the driving range with a WLTP range quoted from 112 miles.
The second option has 42 kWh and produces 118 hp and 162 lb-ft of torque.
This helps the 500e cross the 62 mph mark in a comfortable 9 seconds with a top speed of 150 mph.
Fiat 500e on an all-new platform
The most impressive change that the electrification of the Fiat 500 has bought is the much improved driving dynamics.
The 2021 Fiat 500e is built on an all-new platform that offers a more spacious and stable design.
The new chassis has also paved the way for improved suspension and increased maneuverability.
The fast ride was the highlight for many who might have had the old Fiat 500 commentary, and that was beautifully handled in the Fiat 500e.
A new addition to the Fiat 500e’s movement is a significant reduction in the modern car’s turning radius, helping to drive this fairly silent Italian around town.
Furthermore, the Fiat 500e also comes with three driving modes – Normal, Range and Sherpa, which adjust and balance performance parameters and battery life.
Finally the Fiat 500e with a spacious cabin
The interior of the Fiat 500e2021 was refreshingly spacious and sophisticated, the added footprint also translated into a well-ventilated cabin, and the Fiat 500e is now free from all those clumsy cheap plastic elements, and the vehicle’s fit and finish have improved dramatically.
The only downside here, however, is that Fiat has ditched the retro vibe it had in the cool city car.
It comes with a digital instrument panel which is a well-illustrated 7-inch color screen.
The instrument panel has a clean and well-decorated design with a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
It comes with the latest connectivity features including Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
It runs on the fairly accessible Uconnect 5 interface.
A concise flat-bottomed steering wheel adds a bit of sportiness to the overall luxurious design.
The timeless design is adorned with modern elements
We’re glad Fiat didn’t interfere with the 500’s iconic form factor. But they’ve made appropriate changes to the exterior design to bring it into line with the modern wave of electric city cars.
While the Fiat 500e has grown in size (2.3 inches in width and length), that increase isn’t entirely clear.
But the increase in the bulging body helps keep this difference in vision to a minimum.
Perhaps the most notable changes appeared in the front and rear end, which are not smoother, with few or no openings.
Reworked LED lighting goes a long way in bringing freshness and vitality to this city car.
There are no “Fiat” badges on the front and are now replaced by a “500” badge, placed in a dot between the grille.
The prominent shoulder lines and muscular hood lines are reminiscent of the iconic Fiat 500 from the late 1950s.
It is reported that Fiat has discontinued the Fiat Abarth 500 for North America, and other destinations from the world, and I do not know if there are close chances for the latest iteration of this green car from Fiat to come back to us in a new form, but it seems very rare to return classic cars to their classic appeal with electricity.
But Fiat did it with the Fiat 500e, or should we say, “500” only.
And if the series goes the same way, Fiat may bring back the all-new silent icon in the near future.
The new Fiat 500e has made its first North American public appearance at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada. It marks the first time that a Fiat 500 vehicle has been under the Italian marque in North America since the brand discontinued the nameplate after the 2020 model year
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