The new Fiat 500e electric car from 34.000 euros

The new Fiat 500, the first fully electric car from FCA, makes its debut. The new model of the iconic city car has a range of up to 320 km (WLTP) and receives 85kW fast charging as a standard feature. The new Fiat 500 returns to its birthplace of Turin, Italy, where the first model was first created 63 years ago. Revealed in top specification guise – 'La Prima' – pre-orders begin today, priced at 34.000 euros.

The new Fiat 500e catches inspiration from the generations before it. The first generation of 500 offered freedom and mobility, establishing itself as an icon. In 2007, the second generation introduced style and charm to the iconic city car that conquered the world. Finally, the third generation is more sustainable, connected and autonomous, adhering to increasingly stringent regulations and using its popularity to inspire change.

Three other iconic Italian companies – Giorgio Armani, Bvlgari and Kartell – have combined their excellence in style, creativity and craftsmanship to create three unique versions of the New 500.

When designing the new Fiat 500 electric car, engineers started with a blank sheet of paper. Then, they worked on every aspect of the electric vehicle with the highest consideration to detail and created solutions for the best possible range, charging and driving experience.

Range and charging times are two critical factors for clients. The lithium-ion batteries have a capacity of 42kWh. Also, the 500e is equipped with an 85kW fast-charge system. As a result, 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% in just 35 minutes. In addition, the Combo 2 socket, located on the rear right-side panel of the car, can accept both AC and DC charging.

Home charging solutions are also possible. The launch edition of the New 500 comes complete with an easyWallbox, a home charging system that can simply be connected to a normal home outlet. ENGIE EPS developed this solution exclusively for FCA. 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 professional installation.

The easyWallbox can be upgraded to 7.4kW, providing a full charge at home in just over six hours. The Fiat 500 also comes with a Mode 3 cable for charging up to 11kW from a public charge point.

The Fiat 500 electric car has three driving modes: Normal, Range and Sherpa, which can be selected to suit your driving style or requirements.

Sherpa mode optimises the available resources 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 standard combustion engine, while "Range" mode activates the "one-pedal-drive" function. By selecting this driving mode, the new Fiat 500e can be driven with the accelerator pedal alone. Releasing the accelerator causes much more significant deceleration than with a standard 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.

The electric motor has an output of 87kW, providing a maximum speed of 150 Km/h (self-limited) and acceleration from zero to 62mph in 9 seconds and zero to 31mph in 3.1 seconds.

The car of the future is not just an electric city car; it is the first car in its segment to offer level 2 autonomous driving, bringing all the associated benefits to urban mobility.

• Front-facing camera monitoring technology to monitor all areas of the car, both longitudinally and laterally.
• Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control (IACC) system brakes or accelerates in response to cars, cyclists, pedestrians
• Lane Centring keeps the vehicle in the centre of the lane when the markings are correctly identified.
• Intelligent Speed Assist reads the speed limits and recommends applying them.
• Urban Blind Spot uses ultrasonic sensors to monitor the blind spots and warn of any obstacles with a triangular warning light on the wing mirror.
• Attention Assist provides warnings on display, recommending that you stop and take a break when you are exhausted.
• 360-degree sensors provide a drone-like view to avoid any obstacles when parking or performing complex manoeuvres

 The Fiat 500 electric car is the first FCA car to be equipped with the new UConnect 5 infotainment system, the connected platform designed for the future. Developed with the idea of providing customers with a completely new user experience, UConnect 5 is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto operating systems and can be used in wireless mode.

The new Fiat 500 electric car offers seamless integration with a smartphone, offering a 10.25-inch high-definition horizontal touchscreen with a 16:9 aspect ratio that fits perfectly into the car dashboard.

The UConnect 5 system works both inside and outside the car, allowing the driver to set the navigation route in advance and to pre-condition the climate. In addition, smartphones can be connected in just five seconds using wireless functionality.

The launch version also boasts the natural language interface system, with advanced speech recognition, to talk to the car to control parameters, set the climate control and choose the music.

In terms of style, the new Fiat 500e implements future mobility in an Italian way, bringing together the considerable legacy of the two previous generations. Integrating the classic and remarkable style of the 500 rooted in 63 years of history, the Fiat 500e is still an iconic city car with the same stylistic proportions and clean design. During the design phase, the Fiat Centro Stile worked on clean lines and a consistent language to define the look of the third generation: crisp, advanced and compact, while being more graceful and elegant, shaped around a more proportioned approach to the chassis. This gives a perception of increased stability and dimensional presence.

The front bumper mirrors that of the 1957 version, almost facing the road and the dynamic feel of the profile has been accentuated. The dividing line of the first generation separated the bonnet from the circular headlights, while today, that separation has been redesigned, dividing the modular elliptical headlight. The light clusters are still round and iconic but now use LED technology while the door handles sit completely flush with the bodywork.

Inside, the 500e is entirely new, with explicit references to the first generation. Centro Stile has furnished the interior by distributing the bulk efficiently to achieve simplicity, trim aesthetics and provide visual clarity. This is exemplified by the large dashboard and the modular storage solutions between the two front seats where the gear lever was initially located. There is more leg and shoulder space for occupants, while the flat floor houses the lithium batteries without compromising the luggage compartment capacity, which remains unchanged. The result is a well thought out and cleaner interior, with fewer buttons and crisp, harmonious lines.

The new Fiat 500 electric car is the first four-seater convertible with zero tailpipe emissions. As an icon of La Dolce Vita, another unique feature of the new city car is the Acoustic Vehicle Alert System (AVAS). This is an acoustic warning for pedestrians that is mandatory at speeds up to 12mph. The chosen sound is not a standard acoustic signal but rather the music of Amarcord by Nino Rota, in pure Dolce Vita style, an example of the most authentic Italian creativity.

The launch version also features full LED headlights, eco-leather upholstery, 17-inch diamond-cut wheels and chrome-plated inserts on the windows and side panels.

The Fiat 500 La Prima offers the monogram soft top and the "1 of 500" numbered plaque alongside the country's name in which the car was purchased on the first 500 units sold. The new UConnect 5 infotainment system: 7-inch TFT display, radio, 10.25-inch touch screen NAV, Digital Audio Broadcast, Wireless Apple CarPlay / Android Auto, telematic box module.

The "La Prima" full-option convertible is the only electric four-seater convertible. It comes complete with the above specifications as standard and the 85kW fast-charge capability, and an interior with an eco-leather dashboard and seats.