A lot for ‘all-electric’ – Fiat 500e might include a fuel engine

Stellantis-owned Fiat has had excessive hopes for its all-electric Fiat 500, obtainable within the US, however now a report says that the corporate might backtrack because of low demand and add an ICE model to the lineup.

Earlier this month, Fiat reportedly requested suppliers for quotes to bump up manufacturing of the 500e at Stellantis’s Miafiori manufacturing unit in Turin, Italy, to 175,000 items a 12 months from the 77,260 that have been made final 12 months, studies Automotive Information Europe.

Seems, of that whole, 100,000 items can be ICE fashions, however all this was speculated to be very hush-hush since Fiat hasn’t formally selected the transfer. Information of the change was first reported by  Il Corriere della Sera after which confirmed by Automotive Information Europe.

That is unusual, sudden information, as a result of it’s uncommon to transform an EV to a fuel engine, and the corporate already sells an ICE 500, inbuilt Poland and a barely smaller automotive that predates the 500e by greater than a decade. And the 500e was anticipated to assist push the corporate towards its emissions targets. Fiat has set the goal of being an electric-only model by 2030.

The argument is that including in a fuel mannequin of the 500e to Mirafiori may easy over union considerations about “declining volumes of the 500e” and assist the corporate meet Italy’s aim of sustaining the nation’s auto manufacturing at no fewer than 1 million vehicles per 12 months, with Stellantis bearing the brunt of that demand being the one quantity producer in Italy. Fiat has already lower one among two shifts at Mirafiori final month because of gradual gross sales, shedding some 2,250 staff, with greater than half of these affected engaged on the 500e.

After all, Fiat’s residence turf of Italy has a number of the lowest EV adoption charges in Europe, at simply 4% of the market. However the far-right Italian authorities is working to vary that, by weighing a plan to speculate €930 million ($1 billion) into some engaging monetary incentives to nudge drivers towards electrical vehicles. However this hasn’t occurred but, and a few Italian customers could also be ready for these incentives to be put into motion earlier than making the change – so the automaker enjoys so no residence court docket benefit right here.

In line with the report, we may see a mild-hybrid 500e – which might be powered by the identical 1-liter, 70 hp FireFly fuel engine utilized in Fiat’s Panda minicar, as quickly as late 2025 or early 2026.

Whereas Fiat was set to chop manufacturing of its present ICE 500 in Poland on the finish of subsequent month, that mannequin would transfer to Fiat’s new Algerian manufacturing unit, which has a capability of 90,000 items a 12 months. The mannequin, which might not be compliant with European homologation guidelines, shall be offered within the Center East and Africa solely, studies Automotive Information Europe.

If the mission is authorized, it may take about 18 to 24 months to construct the 500e to just accept a gasoline engine. The outgoing ICE mannequin at present begins at €17,700 in Italy, with the 500e beginning at €29,950, so an ICE model of the 500e is anticipated to fill that hole.

Fiat is among the hottest European manufacturers, however Stellantis has had its work lower out for it with the latest launch of the Fiat 500e within the US, Stellantis’s first all-electric automobile within the US market. The worth tag begins at $32,500 plus a $1,595 vacation spot payment, with not a lot of a strong status to again that up for Individuals. The automotive is designed too for the upmarket, stylish city driver who doesn’t thoughts the 149-mile vary on that value. However after all, Fiat offered virtually no vehicles within the US – a grand whole of 605 vehicles. It offered so few vehicles within the US that it’s now discontinuing the few fashions it had on supply and occurring all in on the 500e.

Pictures: Fiat’s new 2024 500e (Supply: Stellantis)