Stellantis Australia has finally been able to confirm it will bring the Fiat 500e electric city car here, with expected arrivals commencing in the first half of 2023.
The small, retro-cool electric vehicle (EV) was always on local arm’s wish list, but production has largely been dedicated to Europe.
This Australian news follows Fiat’s recent announcement that it plans to axe all non-electrified vehicles (hybrids and EVs) in the UK from July 1.
Stellantis Australia did not give much away in regard to whether the current petrol-fuelled Fiat 500 hatchback – an older-generation design than the 500e EV – will continue to be offered here or not
The old-but-still-cute petrol-powered Fiat 500 remains on sale locally after receiving an update that allowed it meet ADR side-impact regulations that went in effect for all passenger cars on sale in Australia on November 1, 2021.
The Fiat 500e:
The new all-electric Fiat 500e was first revealed way back in March 2020 as the third-generation Cinquecento.
Entry-level variants in the new 500e range have a 70kW electric motor hooked up to a 23.8kWh battery pack that’s claimed to be good for 180km of range in WLTP testing.
This drivetrain supports 50kW fast charging, has a claimed 0-100km/h time of 9.5 seconds, and has an electronically-limited top speed of 135km/h.
Higher-spec models come fitted with a 87kW electric motor with a larger 42kWh lithium-ion battery with a range of 320km.
It also bumps maximum DC fast-charging speeds to 85kW, can do the 0-100km/h sprint in 9.0 seconds and has a top speed set to 150km/h.
The all-electric Fiat 500 is available in hatchback, convertible and a Hyundai Veloster-esque 3+1 hatchback body style. A high-performance version is reportedly set for a 2023 launch as well and could wear an Abarth badge.
Available features for the existing range include full LED headlights, 15- to 17-inch alloy wheels, “eco” leather trim, electric front seat adjustment, self-dimming rear-view mirror, 10.25-inch Uconnect 5 touchscreen infotainment system, and a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, and a wireless phone charger.
Safety feature extend to adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, lane centring assist, traffic sign recognition, and ‘Level 2’ self-driving capability.
Once the all-electric Fiat 500e goes on sale locally in the first half of 2023, it will compete against small entry-level EVs such as Mini Electric, GWM Ora, BYD Atto 3, Cupra Born and Nissan Leaf.
MORE: Everything Fiat 500
