FIAT 500e Review: The New Battery-Powered City Car

Is that the car I think it is?

That depends on what you have in mind. If your guess is the new battery-powered FIAT 500e, you are spot on.

FIAT 500e design and electric hardware

So, what makes it special?

Although the 500e looks broadly similar from the outside - only three floor panels were altered to create the electric version - the cabin and the area beneath what was formerly the boot have been extensively reworked. Most noticeably, the petrol engine has been replaced by an 83kW electric motor, equivalent to 111bhp, while a 24kWh battery occupies the space once used by the fuel tank. The gear lever has given way to push-buttons, and the centre instruments now appear as though they belong on the USS Enterprise.

What is its real-world range, rather than the brochure figure?

A fair question. FIAT claims 87 miles on one charge, though this excludes the energy the car can recuperate when braking. During our test route, the indicated range rose and fell with road speed and terrain, as the car estimates it from current and recently observed driving habits. Yet, after completing the hilly 50-mile route, roughly half the battery charge remained. Expect something closer to 100 miles.

How long will charging take?

Using a Level 2 charger takes four hours, while a standard US 110-volt socket needs almost 24 hours. In practical terms, the L2 unit adds 10 miles of range every 30 minutes, whereas the normal supply provides 10 miles every three hours.

Driving the FIAT 500e

Enough technical detail - how does it drive?

Brilliantly. Apart from the Abarth versions, this is surely the best of the 500 range. It is 272kg heavier than a regular petrol 500, but FIAT has balanced that extra mass so effectively that it is barely noticeable. The 500e has a 57:43 front-to-rear weight distribution, compared with 64:36 in petrol models, and it genuinely feels different. With 200Nm available from 0 (zero) revs and no gears to manage, it ranks among the finest city cars ever made.

Seriously - is it really that good?

Yes. There is little to think about beyond enjoying yourself - apart from locating the next charge point, perhaps. Even the brakes have the familiar feel of conventional brakes, despite regeneration doing all the work above 8mph rather than the discs.

Is there anything else worth knowing?

Rear-seat room loses around 5cm because of the battery pack and charger, but who has ever seriously expected a person to travel in the rear of a 500? That is hardly an issue. More positively, a removable navigation device that displays nearby charging stations and the available range is fitted as standard. Free membership of an Enterprise Rent-A-Car programme is included too, giving owners 12 days of hire-car use for every year they own the vehicle.

Price and availability

It sounds promising, but what does it cost?

The listed price is $32,500, a figure that already accounts for the $10,000 loss FIAT makes on every car it sells. (The company accepts that loss because it earns clean-air credits, allowing it to continue selling thirsty vehicles including the Viper and other SRT models.) In reality, buyers will pay nowhere near that amount. The US government first contributes a $7,500 incentive for choosing a battery-powered car, followed by another $2,500 from California. Fiat then supplies a further $2,500 incentive, bringing the cost down to about $20k.

Right, I want one.

Excellent - but you cannot buy one unless you live in California. The company intends to explore additional markets beyond the Sunshine State and the US, but until it can make the price work against a credit scheme elsewhere, you are unlikely to see one soon. Californian buyers are already flocking to the car as well, so meeting current demand will take some time.

The numbers

83kW, FWD, 111bhp, 200n-m, 108 MPGe, CO2 0g/km, 0-60mph 9secs, 85mph, 1355kg, $32,500 (£21,520)