Back in January of 2010, an electric version of the Fiat 500 was on display at the Detroit Auto Show on the Chrysler stand. Two months later, Chrysler announced it would sell a Fiat 500 Electric in the US. Chrysler engineers in Michigan would develop and test the electric powertrain. Chrylser hasn’t revealed any details on the powertrain in the Fiat 500 Electric, but one can expect a small electric motor running on lithium-ion batteries, and a range between 80 and 100 miles – anything else would be a surprise.
The Fiat 500 Abarth and Fiat 500 Electric are slated to join the Fiat lineup in 2012.
Some of you may remember Fiat from the 1960s and 1970s when Fiat use to export vehicles to North America. Brand Manager Laura Soave says that many North Americans have rather un-flattering stories of the Fiat brand from those years. Fiat didn’t prepare the vehicles for the North American market, and it hurt sales and the companies reputation. Fiat hopes to gain back consumer trust, as well as show the new generation that Fiat is a brand with unrelenting reliability.
Fiat is pitching the Fiat 500 Electric at a sub-30 demographic. The company’s target wasn’t green, but ‘greenish’. The Fiat 500 Electric is in development and scheduled for 2012 production.
As with the Mitsubishi i (Mitsubishi i-Miev everywhere else but the US), Fiat has enlarged the car for the North American market. The North American Fiat 500 Electric includes wider seats, additional cabin storage space, and deeper cup holders (why?).
No pricing has been announced for the Fiat 500 Electric, but Chrysler says it will be competitive with similar electric vehicles in the market. It will most definitely cost more than the regular Fiat 500 that starts at $15,500.
