2024 Fiat 500e: Everything Confirmed So Far

Following success in the European market, Italian car manufacturer Fiat has launched the new 500e, the first electric version of its beloved compact car, in the United States. It marks the return of the Fiat 500 line to the country since it was discontinued in 2019, and with its return, it brings a rousing new roll of features.

Fast-paced tech, stylish new details, and classic Fiat design hark the 500e as a trendsetter for modern, compact EV city cars, helping to rid our city centers of emissions. Fiat has gracefully described the cars themselves as being inspired by the two symbols of Italian culture – music and beauty. Building upon that, it has released three editions of the car: the RED, the ‘Inspired by Music’, and the ‘Inspired by Beauty’.

In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from the official Stellantis press release, the Fiat USA website, and well as first-hand driving experience from TopSpeed reviewers.

The Fiat 500e Makes Up To 117 Horsepower

The Fiat 500e runs on a three-phase AC with a permanent magnetic motor, which puts out a respectable 117 horses and 162 pound-feet of torque. This, when in Normal or Range mode, allows the car to reach a top speed of 94mph, or 151km/h, which is more than enough for the city center life of a Fiat 500e. Stellantis, the parent company of Fiat-Chrysler, recorded a 0-60mph time of 8.5 seconds.

2024 Fiat 500e Powertrain Specs

(Data sourced from Fiat)

0- to 80-percent In 35 Minutes

The car has three driving modes, to balance range management with driver experience. These are Normal, Range, and Sherpa. Fiat gave the car a manufacturer-estimated range of 162 city miles and 149 combined driving miles. When in Range mode, regenerative braking technology is utilized, and the car is capable of decelerating to a complete stop, using a system Fiat calls one-pedal driving.

In Sherpa mode, Fiat allows you to take this one step further and turn off all climate controls and auxiliary equipment to help manage power output. Sherpa mode also puts a restriction on the speed to 50 mph, to reduce energy consumption. The 42kWh, liquid-cooled Li-ion battery, built at the Mirafiori facility in Turin, Italy, is capable of a full Level 2 home charge in six hours at 11kW, or 0 to 80-percent Level 3 charge in 35 minutes.

The Compact Size Makes It A Great Urban Commuter

Despite the Fiat 500e perfectly continuing the quirky, charismatic look that the car is so famously known for, it is not just an altered older model. The car is based on a brand new, EV-specific platform called the STLA-City architecture that was built afresh from the ground up.

Weighing in at only 2,952 pounds (1339kg), the Fiat 500e is the lightest battery electric vehicle on the market. Additionally, it is only 142.95 inches (3.63m) long, 66.3 inches tall (1.68m), with a wheelbase of 107.3 inches (2.73m) and a width of 74.12 inches (1.88m) when including the mirrors. Although slightly wider and longer than older models, this makes the Fiat 500e still a brilliant car for narrow, double-parked streets and fast-paced, busy city centers. Not to mention that, without any exhaust emissions, the car is superb for reducing air and sound pollution in built-up areas.

(Data sourced from Fiat)

A Classic Exterior, Refreshed With Modern Features

An iconic design, the Fiat 500, has been nipping about our cities since the 1950s. As car manufacturers begin to merge into the electric vehicle era, the classic, famed designs we know and love are undergoing revitalization while maintaining their original character. That is exactly what happens here with the Fiat 500e.

The car comes in three main colors; Tuxedo Black, Glacier White, and RED. The two special editions, ‘Inspired by Beauty’ and ‘Inspired by Music’, offer slightly different body packages. ‘Inspired by Beauty’ comes in a metallic rose gold, while ‘Inspired by Music’ comes in a Tuxedo Black with chrome trim.

The Fiat 500e rides atop 17-inch diamond cut wheels, with flush-set, front and rear LEDs, and e-latch door handles. Noticeably, the front grill has been redesigned to highlight the car’s EV capabilities, but the iconic lines and 500 badges remain as present as ever, harking back to the car’s stylish origins. With its Italian flags set within the side markers and charging port cover that imitates a vintage fuel cap, it elegantly mirrors the car’s beloved past, while highlighting the modern potential of electric vehicles.

Despite Its Compact Size, There Is No Dearth Of Features Inside

Like many new electric vehicles, the Fiat 500e comes packed with modern technology and features. The new oval dashboard is an eye-catching design shakeup within the car, complementing the car’s fun, sporty aesthetic while paying homage to the original 1957 Fiat 500. Similarly, the thin, dual-spoke steering wheel instills a refreshing contrast to the 10.25-inch screen, which comes equipped with Stellantis’s cross-platform UConnect 5 infotainment software, that features over-the-air updates such as real-time range and consumption updates. The usual myriad of tech also fills the system, with Apple Car Play and Android Auto connectivity, Fiat navigation software, and the usual climate control systems.

Alongside this in-car tech, Fiat 500e owners will also be able to get the FIAT Connect software and the Fiat App, to control a respectable number of remote operations. Fiat has made it so that drivers can pre-set climate functions, activate locks and lights, and adjust the charge schedule all from a smartphone. The app also shows nearby charging stations, as well as dynamic range mapping, syncing with the car’s battery life to show available distances on a map.

A Compact Car With Compact Dimensions

Space within the car is surprisingly roomy, at least in the front. The driver and passenger seats have a legroom of 41.8 inches (106cm) and a headroom of 39.3 inches (99.8cm). In the back, however, the legroom is a tiny 29.5 inches (74.9cm), though the headroom drops only to 35.35 inches (89.8cm). The back seats, then, are probably best used as an additional storage space, especially because the rear cargo space is only a modest 7.5 cu-ft (212L). Against the Mini Cooper SE, the Fiat’s closest rival, the internal space is pretty similar, with the Mini’s rear legroom only slightly bigger at 30.8 inches (78.2cm).

The Fiat 500e also comes equipped with some rather modern safety features, such as; drowsy driver detection, to monitor and alert drivers feeling fatigued; pedestrian and cyclist emergency braking system; intelligent speed assist, a system which can recognize road signs to maintain a constant driving speed; and advanced lane assist software to notify the driver of unintentional lane swerving.

Optional Differences

The ‘Inspired by Beauty’ and ‘Inspired by Music’ editions of the car both come with slightly different interiors, to match their upgraded bodywork. ‘Inspired by Beauty’ comes equipped with Fiat-embroidered leather seats and a bi-color soft touch steering wheel. ‘Inspired by Music’ takes a sleeker, tech-focused approach, upgrading the speaker system to a specialized JBL Audio System that features JBL Venues to emulate four distinct musical venues chosen by Maestro Bocelli. This edition also comes with improved safety features, such as 360-degree, surround-car parking sensors and front and rear park assist.

The 2024 Fiat 500e Starts At $32,500

For all of its breadth of features, the Fiat 500e comes in at a pretty modest price of $32,500. The ‘Inspired by Music’ and ‘Inspired by Beauty’ editions both add another $3,500 on top of that, though $36,000 is still a bargain for the premium models of a brand-new EV.

Areas with EV subsidies will find themselves paying even less than that, with the Canadian EV incentive program knocking $5000 off of the price, and in Quebec, a further $7000 can be taken off of that. In the US, however, the $7500 tax credit requires electric vehicles to be made within the US, while the 500e is made in Turin, Italy.

How Does It Stack Up Against The Mini Cooper SE

The closest rival to the Fiat 500e is the Mini Cooper SE, another low-range EV model of an old, classic European hatchback. Compared to the Fiat, the Mini is slightly more powerful, with 181 horses and a 0-60 time of only 6.9 seconds. The top speed, however, does come in at a lower speed of 93 mph. As well as that, the range is really where the Mini Cooper SE drops off, with a mere 114 miles of battery.

The Mini comes in at 151.7 inches (3.85m) long and 75.9 inches (1.93m) wide, with a wheelbase of 98.2 inches (2.49m) and a rather high curb weight of 3,143 pounds (1425.64kg). The Mini Cooper SE also boasts a slightly lower price tag than the Fiat, with prices starting from $30,900.