Is The Fiat 500e Ready To Return To The North American Market?

The new Fiat 500e has made its first North American public appearance at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada. It marks the first time that a Fiat 500 vehicle has been under the Italian marque in North America since the brand discontinued the nameplate after the 2020 model year. At the time, the 500 was the best-selling vehicle in the brand’s lineup for North America and has since left only the 500X crossover as its sole model.

To help showcase its next-generation electrified 500e, FIAT has two models on display in the Electrification Zone of the Stellantis stand. 

The new 500e 3+1 is the most “versatile” 500e. It features a unique “magic door” to make it easier for the passengers to get in, and everything you might need on the rear seats. This “magic door” fits in harmoniously with the car’s structure, with no changes to its design or dimensions, both remaining those of an agile city car. Instead, it exponentially increases the ease of use, so passengers can easily get into the rear seats and bulky items can easily be loaded. As an alternative, the central pillar – to which the front door is usually hinged – is fully integrated into the third door, which creates an enormous access space when opened.

The new (500e)^RED is “Made for the Planet, Made for its People” and has a clear mission to protect the environment and people: it’s electric, it respects the environment and it makes a contribution to a more sustainable future. That mission is now going even further with (RED) on board. The new (500e)^RED is 100% electric, thus making its contribution to the fight against pollution; it is also a car with great ethical content courtesy of the partnership with (RED) – the organization founded by Bono and Bobby Shriver, committed to combating pandemics for over 15 years.

The all-electric new 500e is designed for the next decade and to suit the needs of electric mobility in the city centers of the future. The new 500e was entirely developed, engineered, and produced in Turin, Italy where the 500 was born and has become the company’s best-selling battery-electric vehicle (BEV). Besides, the new 500e is a true global icon, available in Europe, Israel, and Brazil, with its launch in Japan, planned for 2022.

The small new FIAT EV has broken down the ‘conventional’ barriers for electric vehicles. A new set of lithium-ion batteries with a capacity of 42 kWh give the 2021 Fiat 500e a range of up to 320 kilometers (or about 200 miles) in the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) cycle.

To optimize charging times, the new Fiat 500e is equipped with an 85 kW fast charger system to charge the battery very quickly. For example, it takes only 5 minutes to build up a sufficient energy reserve to travel 50 kilometers (about 31 miles), more than is needed for average daily use. The fast charger can also charge the battery to 80% in just 35 minutes. A Combo 2 socket is located on the rear right-side panel of the car and offers both AC and DC charging.

The 500e is the first city car with Level 2 Assisted Driving, as well as the availability of three different bodies: hatchback, Cabrio, and 3+1. Courtesy of the new Uconnect 5 Infotainment system, the 500e is always connected. “Hey FIAT” is the advanced voice recognition system, so you can talk to the car just by using the wake words “Hey FIAT”.

So do you think FIAT should bring the all-electric 500e to North America? Let us know in the comments below or in the MoparInsiders.com forums.