Car launches usually give clues about the car itself. Take BMW’s i5 launch in Portugal, with its twisty roads near a software partner. It makes perfect sense! But Fiat’s choice for the new 500e launch left me scratching my head – Miami? Traffic, bad drivers, and flat, boring roads? What were they thinking?
Actually, it turns out there was a plan. The old 500e was a zippy little car that handled tight spaces well. The new one? It feels even more at home weaving through city streets, just like the ones in Miami.
The problem? The price tag doesn’t quite match the short range. Sure, it’s a fun little city car, but will that be enough to win people over, especially considering the limited distance it can travel on a single charge? The 2024 Fiat 500e might be a sunshine state charmer, but it remains to be seen if it can charm its way into everyone’s driveway.
Hold on a sec, is the 2024 Fiat 500e really brand new? Well, not exactly. In the fast-paced world of electric cars, it’s actually a bit behind the times. This car has been around in Europe since 2020, and it’s the electric replacement for the gas-powered 500, which just stopped production.
For folks in the US, though, this is actually the second generation of the 500e. The first one wasn’t exactly a hit – it was kind of a money-loser, and the former CEO even discouraged people from buying it! So, this new version is Fiat’s attempt at a do-over for the American market.
Unlike its earlier electric attempt in the US, Fiat is confident the 2024 500e will be a money-maker. This time around, it’s not just a gas-powered car with batteries squeezed in – it’s built from the ground up as an electric vehicle, on a platform called STLA City. This dedicated electric platform was one of the last projects completed before a major car company merger.
For the US market, they’ve made some minor adjustments to keep things safe and legal. They’ve tweaked the car’s structure for crashes, completely redesigned the airbags, and updated the lights to meet US standards. That explains the new orange indicator light and the cute Italian flag turn signal (which used to be hidden under the hood). But other than that, Fiat says the US version is basically the same as the European one.
