Even by electric vehicle standards, Original Fiat 500e Not exactly a huge success. Italian electric cars are mostly present in California and sales peaked in 2015 with 6,194 units falling to 2,250 units in 2018. Former CEO Sergio Marchionne also famously claimed The company lost $14,000 on every 500 units sold, which means the less successful it is, the better. So we weren’t really surprised when Fiat killed it along with the gas-powered 500 in 2019.
An electric compact car with only two doors, limited range, and a price starting at $30,000 isn’t a car that many Americans are interested in, and to a certain extent, we can’t blame it. blame them. It works best as a city car, but if you live in a city where the 500e’s small size would be very useful, chances are you won’t have anywhere to park it if you even need to. a car from the start. .
And yet, a few years after Fiat redesigned the 500e, the company decided to offer the small car in the US again, this time in all 50 states and without losing money every time someone buys one. So if you want to buy one to drive around Houston, you can. You could get crushed by a lifted Chevrolet Silverado HD, but Fiat won’t stop you. I recently had the chance to drive a 2024 Fiat 500e in Miami, and although I didn’t get much time behind the wheel, it’s clear that Fiat has put more effort into making its little EV a good car. than.
Full disclosure: Fiat flew me to Miami, paid for a night in a hotel room, gave me a nice meal, bought me drinks, provided the car, and luckily I resisted the urge to feed me to the crocodile.
Before we start reviewing the new Fiat 500e, we need to go back to 2020. I was living in the Koreatown area of LA and needed a car. I was working on a new site that was too small to make cars, and the idea of going electric was appealing. After considering several other options, I ended up buying the 2015 Fiat 500e. Was it the best electric car on the market at the time? Nothing. But is it the best EV I can buy? Oh yes.
While it’s not as fun to drive as the Abarth version, that little 500e is charming. It’s very practical, especially with the rear seats folded down. Charging was mostly free because I found an electrical outlet in the garage that the homeowner didn’t know I was using, and I was able to navigate tight parking situations with ease. Heck, I even tied a Christmas tree to the roof a few months later. Sure, it had its flaws, but it really was the perfect car for me at the time. Plus, unlike a severely devalued Nissan Leaf, it’s not difficult to get 100 miles on a charge.
Sadly, life happens and I no longer have my old 500e, but that means I’m especially interested in driving the new one. There’s still a Fiat-shaped hole in my heart, and the 2024 500e seems like the perfect new car to fill it. On paper, that’s not difficult to do. The new car has more range thanks to its 42 kWh battery, now has 149 miles compared to the old car’s 87 miles, and it also produces more power. The 117 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque the electric motor sends to the front wheels isn’t much by today’s standards, but it’s still an improvement over the 111 horsepower and 147 pound-feet of torque. of predecessor. It’s also slightly longer, wider and taller for more passenger space without losing the previous car’s attractive styling and petite silhouette.
When it comes to charging, you’ll probably want to make sure you have a Level 2 charger nearby. If you stick with Level 1 like I did with my old car, Fiat says it will take 37 hours to fully recharge from 5%. With a Level 2 charger, you can reportedly go from empty to fully charged in six hours. However, hook it up to an 85kWh fast charger and you can get to 80% in about 35 minutes – the old car didn’t offer fast charging from the factory. Maybe you still don’t want to try driving the new 500e, but at least this time it might make sense in theory.
This time, the 500e also has features. I really didn’t mind not having much besides a radio, air conditioning, power windows, and power steering, but I also bought my car for about $6,000. On the other hand, those spending more than $30,000 on a new car will likely expect something a bit more modern, and even though it isn’t. Mercedes super screen Dominating the dashboard, having features like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integrated into the infotainment system, multiple driving modes, and an updated driver display are certainly nice upgrades. .
It’s also roomier inside than you might expect. Of course, priority is given to the front seats, but I was able to fit my 6-foot-tall companion in the back without having to amputate his legs. The cabin materials also feel much nicer than before. I wouldn’t call it luxurious, but it’s beautifully designed and nothing I touched felt like Fiat had cut major corners. It’s also unlike other cars in the sub-$40,000 price range that offer open-pore wood, aluminum trim, and Nappa leather seats.
One thing that stands out to me as a previous owner is that the new car’s rear seats don’t fold flat like before. It’s far from the end of the world, but at the same time, it seems like it would make the new 500e a little less practical if you’re trying to transport larger items.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have much time to actually drive the new 500e, so I wish I could go deeper here, there’s only so much you can learn in less than two hours. According to the car’s computer, I drove the 2024 Fiat 500e for 41 minutes, all in Miami traffic. Without the opportunity to accelerate onto the highway, I can’t really tell you anything about wind or tire noise, nor do I have any insight into how it handles in corners or the comfort level of the seats aside from my initial impression that yes, they are quite comfortable and a marked improvement over the old ones.
Again, it’s not like the 500e is designed for canyoning or cross-country trips. At the end of the day, it should be a tool that gets you from A to B with enough style and charm that you don’t feel like you’re just another device. Sure, you could scoff at Fiat for highlighting the 500e’s 3.1-second 0-to-30-mph time, but on the other hand, I think it shows the Italian automaker understand that owners may not regularly reach highway speeds. They will drive around town in traffic just like me. One of the things I liked about my old car was that if you tried to pull out of a parking lot too fast, it would spin the tires. I’m not the type of person who does that on purpose on a regular basis, but it’s part of the car’s appeal.
However, that’s really bad for tire wear and most people probably don’t find it as appealing as I do. The new car has apparently been tuned to prevent that from happening. While the 500e no longer tries to squeal its tires every time you pull out of a parking lot, it feels like it has plenty of power as is. It doesn’t exactly encourage enthusiastic driving, but if you’re doing your business at low speeds, it at least feels somewhat fast. Additionally, if you have heavy feet, Fiat will also let you opt for a set of summer tires at no extra cost. Tires are also one of the few options you can choose from on the 500e Inspi(red) I drove. Other than that, it just decides whether you want to paint it red, white or black. Get red. It’s a good red.
A Sport mode would be appreciated, but that’s what the Abarth is all about. (And you’re definitely bringing the new Abarth to America, right Fiat?) In addition to the Normal setting, you get two other driving modes that Fiat calls Range and Sherpa. Range mode is essentially an Eco setting that lets you drive with one pedal, while Sherpa is even more aggressive, turning off the air conditioning and ensuring you get the widest possible range of travel. can. I suspect most people will use Sherpa mode on a regular basis, but if your battery is low and you’re looking for a charger it would probably be nice to have.
Since this is a single-speed transmission, there really isn’t much to say about the transmission. The Fiat stuck with a push-button gearshift that looks a lot better than the old car, but the downside to the horizontal layout is that putting the car in Drive is a bit out of reach. You’ll probably get used to it pretty quickly, but a little discomfort is still just a little discomfort.
Considering the 2024 Fiat 500e starts at $34,095 including destination, I have a feeling it will carve out a niche for itself among urban drivers who appreciate its small size. it is a feature, not a bug. However, at the same time, since we were only allowed to drive the car for such a short period of time, I would need a loaner to drive the car for at least a week before I could understand it enough to write an article. . The new 500e review is probably worth it. Either that, or I’ll have to wait five years to depreciate it cheaply enough that I can afford it, buy one, and give it a long-term, old-fashioned test.
