Fiat goes electric with its city car
Fiat 500 will have a range of 320km plus quick charging
While the Geneva motor show was cancelled due to the Swiss government’s concerns over Coronavirus, that hasn’t stopped car manufacturers revealing their new products.
And Fiat is the latest brand to reveal its showstopper: an all-electric car that will be a first for the company.
The Fiat 500 will be the first EV for the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) group and will have a range of up to 320km and an 85kW fast charge capability as standard.
It will also be the first city car with level 2 autonomous driving equipped and will have the new UConnect 5 infotainment system.
Fiat also claims the 500 to be the first fully electric four-seater convertible.
“The new 500 takes inspiration from the generations before it”
The Fiat 500 will be built at the Mirafiori plant in Turin, Italy with the booking being taken in the UK from today for the La Prima convertible model, from £29,000 (NZ$59,000).
That’s the good news for Brits, but for Kiwi fans of the Fiat, you’ll be in for a wait. The Ateco group used to distribute Fiats in New Zealand but decided to instead concentrate on other products from FCA, such as Jeep, Maserati and Alfa Romeo.
But as Kiwi demand for electric vehicles increases, Ateco may have to rethink. Fingers crossed.
Fiat says the new 500 takes “inspiration from the generations before it”.
The first generation of 500 offered freedom and mobility, establishing itself as an icon. Revived in 2007, the second generation introduced style and charm to the iconic city car that went on to conquer the world. The third generation is more sustainable, connected and autonomous, adhering to increasingly stringent regulations and using its popularity to inspire change.
When designing the new 500, Fiat engineers started afresh, working on all aspects of the car to create solutions for the best range, charging and driving.
Range and charging times are two key considerations for customers. The lithium-ion batteries, with a capacity of 42kWh, give the new 500 a range of up to 320km. To optimise charging time, the 500 is equipped with an 85kW fast charge system. It takes only five minutes to build up a sufficient energy reserve to travel 50km, more than the average daily commute. Using a fast charger can also power the battery to 80 per cent in just 35 minutes. The Combo 2 socket, located on the rear right side panel of the car, has the ability to accept both AC and DC charging.
The 500 has three driving modes: Normal, Range and Sherpa.
The Sherpa mode is named after the Himalayan Sherpa, says Fiat, “who is in charge of the whole expedition and is a guide to the destination”.
Sherpa mode optimises the available resources to reduce fuel consumption to a minimum, enabling it to reach the destination set on the navigation system or the nearest charging station. This driving mode adjusts various parameters: maximum speed is limited to 80km/h; accelerator response is managed in order to reduce energy consumption; and deactivation of both the climate control system and heated seats (the driver has the option of activating them at any time).
The Fiat 500 will have a range of 300km.
The electric motor provides a maximum speed of 150km/h and acceleration from zero to 100km/h in 9 seconds.
The Fiat 500 will also be the first car in its segment to offer level 2 autonomous driving, due to front-facing camera monitoring technology to monitor all areas of the car, both longitudinally and laterally.
The Fiat 500 convertible will be priced from $59,000 - but not for sale in NZ. Yet.
It is also the first FCA car to be equipped with the new UConnect 5 infotainment system, the connected platform designed for the future. Developed with the idea of providing customers with a completely new user experience, UConnect 5 is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto operating systems and can be used in wireless mode.
The 500 offers seamless integration with a smartphone, offering a 10.25in high-definition horizontal touchscreen with a 16:9 aspect ratio that fits perfectly into the car dashboard.
UConnect 5 combined with the telematic box module not only provides the mandatory Emergency Call feature, but also a number of innovative connectivity services such as ‘My Remote’ that checks the battery charge level from a smartphone.
