Less expensive Fiat New 500 EVs due in October

MILAN — More affordable versions of the New 500 full-electric minicar will be available starting in October, Fiat brand head Olivier Francois told an Italian newspaper.

He didn't give an estimated starting price for the variants, although he did tell La Stampa that the lower-cost variants would have prices comparable to battery-powered rivals in the segment.

Fiat has already started production of the New 500 at its Mirafiori factory near Turin and customers can order the more expensive La Prima (Italian for the first) edition of both the hatchback and convertible.

The launch edition hatchback starts at 34,900 euros in Italy while the convertible is 37,900 euros. Each price includes the installation of a wallbox to charge the car at home.

Customers in Italy, Spain, the Netherlands will get the launch edition cars starting in October. Deliveries in Germany begin in November while UK customers will have to wait until late 2020 to early 2021, according to Fiat’s country websites.

Francois defended Fiat's pricing strategy for the New 500 by saying that the automaker has always sought a premium price for the non-electric version of the car, which has been one of Europe's top-selling minicars for more than a decade.

"The 500 is not mass market, it's not the cheapest car in its segment, and so [the New 500] will continue" this trend, Francois said while unveiling the New 500 convertible at an event in Milan in March.  

The hatchback version was shown online on June 8.

On average, Fiat has allotted 500 units of the La Prima editions to each of the 28 European countries where it is active, Francois said in March.

That allotment would result in 14,000 units, which "could be an estimate of the delivery level in 2020," Francois added.

The New 500 will initially be available only in Europe, with Fiat hoping to sell 80,000 a annually at full capacity.

Exports to Brazil are expected to start next year while U.S. exports could follow, if there is sufficient demand, Francois said.

The New 500 retains the retro styling of its non-electric sibling. The EV has a 320-km (200-mile) range based on the WLTP test cycle. That range rises to 400 km in the WLTP's urban cycle, which is more favorable to EVs, Fiat said.

The EV is powered by an 87-kilowatt (116-hp) electric motor and a 42-kilowatt-hour lithium ion battery pack.

Compared with gasoline-powered versions of the car, the New 500 is 60mm longer (3631 mm), 60mm wider (1687mm), 20mm taller (1508mm) and its wheelbase has grown by 20mm (2320mm).

The New 500 accelerates from 0 to 50 kph in 3.1 seconds and from 0 to 100 kph in 9 seconds. Its top speed is limited to 150 kph.

Using an 85-kilowatt fast charger it takes 5 minutes to provide the New 500 with 50 km of range, which is more than enough for average daily use, Fiat said. The car can reach an 80 percent charge in 35 minutes while a full charge takes six hours using a 7.4-kW home wallbox.

According to Francois, the New 500 is the first car in its segment to offer a full array of Level 2 driving-assistance systems, all of which are standard on the launch version. The safety equipment includes: front-facing camera technology that monitors all areas of the car, both longitudinally and laterally; an adaptive cruise control system that brakes or accelerates in response to cars, cyclists, pedestrians; lane centering technology that keeps the vehicle in the lane when markings are correctly identified; and sensors that provide an 360-degree view to help avoid obstacles when parking or performing complex maneuvers.

Rivals to the New 500 include the Volkswagen e-Up, Skoda Citigo-e iV and Seat Mii Electric, Honda e, which goes on sale this summer, Renault Twingo Z.E., which will be available by year-end, and an EV from Renault sister brand Dacia based on the Spring concept that is due in Europe next year.