Buyers get to pick from either a base 50-kWh battery or a larger 75-kWh pack with enough juice for up to 330 kilometers (205 miles) in the WLTP cycle. Power is provided by a single electric motor rated at 136 hp (100 kW) and an instant torque of 260 Nm (191 lb-ft). As standard, the E-Ulysse supports 100-kW charging to replenish the battery to 80% in only 45 minutes. Optionally, a three-phase 11-kW Mode 3 cable or a Wallbox by Mopar are available.

As you would expect from a minivan, the interior is impressively flexible. There is literally a dozen of configurations for the eight-seater model and a whopping 16 layouts if you choose the seven-seat model. Fiat goes as far as to say the E-Ulysse electric people mover is a living room on four wheels with a massive panoramic sunroof featuring a pair of panels with a total surface area of almost one square meter.

Between those two panels, Fiat has fitted the air conditioning diffuser with six vents that can be individually adjusted. Passengers have access to temperature control and benefit from a cozy atmosphere courtesy of two LED strips of ambient lighting. Even though it’s huge on the inside, the E-Ulysse is touted as having the smallest dimensions in its segment. It rides on 17-inch wheels and can be configured with an electric tailgate and xenon headlights (yes, xenons in 2022).

Should you need to carry cargo rather than people, the electric van can swallow up to 4,900 liters in the Long version or 1,500 liters if all seats are occupied. The standard model offers 4,200 and 900 liters, respectively. Items as long as 3.5 meters fit in the Long model or 3.1 meters if you go for the regular E-Ulysse.

Stellantis will begin assembly of the zero-emission van at the plant in Hordain, France this month when it will also open the order books in select European countries. Dealerships will have the E-Ulysse from May.

Source: Fiat

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The zero-emissions model in question is likely a next-gen Panda as previewed by the Centoventi concept a few years ago. It will be larger than the electric 500 city car already on sale and we’re hoping it will retain the all-wheel-drive system that has made the previous Panda models so capable. That would obviously require one electric motor at the front and another at the rear.

Fiat and Abarth are the latest on a long list of Stellantis brands announcing plans to ditch the combustion engine in Europe before the end of the decade. Also in 2027, Alfa Romeo will abandon gasoline and diesel engines on the Old Continent. Opel and Vauxhall will follow suit a year later, in 2028. Meanwhile, luxury brand DS Automobiles will launch only EVs from 2024 when Lancia will start to introduce only hybrids and EVs. Come 2026, the troubled Italian brand will exclusively introduce BEVs.

Before that happens, Jeep will have its very first purely electric model on sale by the end of 2023. In the same interval, Maserati will introduce the Grecale crossover and next-gen GranTurismo / GranCabrio sports cars powered by electric motors. A new Dodge Hornet heavily based on the Alfa Romeo Tonale will hit the US with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. Over in Europe, Peugeot will get an unknown PHEV, likely a 4008 coupe-crossover related to the 308 plug-in hybrid hatchback / wagon.

As far as Citroën is concerned, it too wants to roll out two EVs by late 2023, one of which could be an all-new C3 supermini.

Source: Stellantis

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In an interview with Auto Express, Fiat CEO Olivier Francois said there will be several models based on the Centoventi, including a boxy city car with rugged styling to serve as a follow-up to today’s aging Panda. The British magazine claims there will be one or perhaps two additional models sharing the same CMP platform that will underpin the next-gen Panda. It means these future models will have a lot in common with the Peugeot 208 and 308 since the two hatchbacks use the same architecture.

A crossover is expected to be among the new models to replace the slow-selling 500L minivan and co-exist with another high-riding model already assigned to the factory in Poland for a start of production in 2023. The Centoventi-based crossover will be offered with small-displacement engines to meet Europe’s stringent emissions regulations and should be sold alongside a fully electric version.

Fiat’s head honcho hinted it will be more utilitarian by having a boxy design to maximize interior space while staying within the boundaries of the B-segment. He went on to say it will take after the Centoventi and also stay true to the ethos of the Panda, but in an evolutionary way. It will be immediately recognizable as a Fiat and ride on the same CMP platform.

Stellantis already sells an e-208 with an electric powertrain, with an e-308 to follow in 2023, meaning Fiat is planning a zero-emissions version as well. As a reminder, the smaller of the two Peugeot EVs has a 50-kWh battery for a WLTP range of 225 miles (362 kilometers) while the compact electric hatchback will have a slightly larger 54-kWh pack.

Fiat has promised to embrace “affordable electrification” in the coming years ahead of 2030 when it will become a purely EV brand in Europe.

Source: Auto Express

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With emissions regulations getting stricter, more and more automakers are channelizing their efforts towards zero-emissions models in order to avoid having to pay massive fines. That’s especially true in Europe, but other regions of the world are catching up. The new 500e city car comes exclusively as an EV and is sold alongside the previous-generation model still equipped with traditional powertrains.

The announcement made by Fiat implies some drastic changes in the lineup will be made starting with the middle of the decade considering the 500 is currently the company’s only EV. The fully electric Centoventi Concept from 2019 has yet to morph into a production car, but it’s expected to take the shape of the next-generation Panda small car.

As a refresher, Jaguar will become an EV-only brand as early as 2025 while Ford of Europe has pledged to sell only plug-in hybrids and pure electric cars by 2026 ahead of 2030 when its passenger car lineup will be all EVs. Volvo is also gradually abandoning the combustion engine, with the end of the decade announced as being the cutoff date for the ICE.

Getting back to Fiat, the Italian automaker’s head honcho aims to introduce electric cars that cost as much as those with combustion engines as soon as possible, helped by the falling costs of batteries. The Stellantis brand is expected to target the small car segment as it transitions to an EV-only lineup, likely using the parent company’s STLA platform as the backbone of its electric onslaught.

Source: Fiat

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Resources were scarce and that forced car makers to find innovative ways of making cars that would require little and offer a lot in return. It was the era of cars like the Fiat 500 (Cinquecento) or the Classic Mini, both of them being absolute monsters in terms of sales and creating brands that would last for decades. It’s funny to think of it this way, but cars like the Fiat 500 made it possible to keep brands like Maserati or Ferrari still going. But that’s a different story.

Reborn in 2007

Unlike its most avid rival, the Fiat 500 took a break only to come back into the world back in 2007 with a new image and appeal. Ever since, the little car was sold in millions of units and proved that people still have an appetite for small, cute cars, especially in congested huge urban areas. Go for a weekend getaway in Italy or Spain and you’ll soon notice these little 500s everywhere. It is the most successful product to come out of Fiat’s assembly lines in the last 20 years and that’s not going to change anytime soon.

As a matter of fact, Fiat knows it has a good product on its hands and is going to milk it for everything it has. Since 2007, little has changed about the 500. The exterior and interior design stayed relatively the same, with small changes being done to it to distinguish the generations between them. However, unless you squint and look really hard, you could easily say they all look the same. The technical side of things also went largely unchanged except for the engines, that had to be upgraded to keep up with the ever-changing legislation in the EU regarding emissions and the likes.

However, in mid-2019, Fiat announced that it has big plans with the 500. A new generation was in the works and would bring big changes. First and foremost, the car would use a brand new platform. This new platform would also bring a dreaded increase in size and that definitely didn’t sit well with a lot of fans of the car. It may seem odd but the compact size of the 500 is one of the main reasons why people like it.

The biggest change though would come in the drivetrain department: the new 500 would be electric!

Initially, the announcement made it sound like the electric version would be the only one on offer. But Fiat decided to bring a petrol-powered version too. Late last year, the 500e was finally unveiled and captured the minds of many fans.

Welcome a New Electric Fiat

The new 500e does stand out from its predecessors but not by much. In terms of size, it is 61mm longer overall, 39mm longer in the wheelbase, 56mm wider and 40mm taller which might be an issue for some, but won’t mess things up too much.

As for the design, you’ll notice a few details that will make the car stand out. For example, the headlights now have a sort of split design. That’s because the round shape is now split between the hood and the front bumper. The headlight itself is located on the bumper but the daytime running lights are stuck on the hood, creating a circle combined with the headlight. The turn signals are located under the headlamps and are also shaped like a circle and you could mistake them for fog lights.

The front fascia is dominated by a huge 500 badge that replaces the usual grille older models had. In this case, since this is an electric car, you need a better aerodynamic profile rather than cooling for the ‘engine under the hood’. Therefore, the grille was moved below, feeding air into the system needed to cool off the battery pack in the floor.

There are other subtle hints all around the car to tell you this is a new, electric model. The C-Pillar has a 500e badge at its base, while the taillights also sport a similar inscription on a side. But other than these very small hints, you could easily be fooled into thinking this is just another 500.

The same story goes for the interior even though some things did change in there. The dashboard now has a new design and it does away with the old style one with huge rotary buttons. Nowadays you get a beautiful high-resolution touchscreen on top of the dash, a new design for the air vents and reshaped buttons underneath. They work flawlessly and completely change the experience you get in the car. Another noteworthy mention here is the wireless charging pad under the HVAC buttons which features the Torino skyline. A nice touch to remind you of this car’s heritage.

You’ll also notice the center console is different, leaving some room between the dash and the seats, since a gearshift lever is no longer necessary. Instead, you get buttons to select the direction you want to go in. The design is clean cut and simple and the instrument cluster is no different. It’s basically a screen with useful information displayed in it, with simple and colorful graphics that gets the job done.

Since this is a ‘green’ car, eco-friendly materials are being offered. The textile seat upholstery, for example, is made with recycled plastics from waste gathered from our oceans. The floormats also use nylon from these plastics. Then there’s the ‘leather’. Fiat says its 500e will be using ‘vegan leather’ which might sound good to some, but we’ll reserve judgment for a few years from now, to see how this material copes with the sweat and grease from our hands on the steering wheel for example.

As for the ergonomics, you need to adjust your expectations. This is a small car and you can’t expect it to offer the same levels of space you’d find on SUVs, for example. Up front there’s plenty of room for people of average size. Up to about 6-ft you’ll be comfortable, with plenty of headroom but over that limit, you might start feeling a bit cramped. The rear seats are tiny and may be used by kids and shorter adults but for small periods of time.

Also, the plastics on the door panels and the top of the dashboard are not of the best quality, feeling cheap to the touch and giving off the impression they will get scratched easily over time. At least the fit is nice, with no noticeable gaps anywhere inside the cabin.

Updated Electric Drivetrain

Apart from all of these novelties, the one area that we can’t overlook is the drivetrain. The new Fiat 500e is here to fix some of the mistakes made on the Italian car maker’s first attempt at offering electric mobility around town.

In case you didn’t know, an electric version of the 500 was offered as far back as 2013 but it was a US-only ordeal and let’s just say it didn’t exactly rise to the expectations people had of it, because of its limited range. Therefore, Fiat decided to fix the issues that plagued the first attempt and bring out this new 500e, this time making it available worldwide. So, what hides under the ‘hood’ of this new version?

A whole new platform first and foremost, aiming to offer more room for bigger batteries, a better ride and extended range. There are two motor choices available but whether you can pick between them depends on where you live, as not all markets get them. There’s a base, 95 HP version and a more powerful, 118 HP, alternative. They also come with different battery sizes. The entry-level choice only gets a 23.8 kWh usable battery while the top spec version can rely on 37.3 kWh. We were fortunate enough to test the latter.

That said, the 118 HP motor also delivers 220 Nm of torque and all of it goes to the front axle alone. Since we’re talking about an electric vehicle, the torque hits you instantly and makes the car feel quick without breaking the speed limit. As a matter of fact, the 500e feels faster than it really is. The specs say it will do 100 km/h in 9 seconds, so it won’t be breaking your neck anytime soon. It will feel a bit quicker though and that’s definitely a plus.

That’s definitely going to come in handy around town. Zipping through traffic is a breeze in the 500e and its still compact size makes it perfect for tight parking spaces. Even though the longer than usual front doors might make it bit hard to get out of the car when parked next to others. The suspension, on the other hand, had to be reinforced due to the added weight brought on by the batteries located in the floor.

They weigh about 300 kilos and that makes a huge impact on a car that used to tip the scales at around 1 metric ton even. Therefore, the ride in the 500e is a bit bouncy and stiffer than you might expect. I’d go as far as comparing it with the MINI Cooper SE’s suspension, only the MINI has an excuse as it is marketed as a sporty model. That’s not the case with the 500e.

And the Fiat also can’t match the MINI in terms of driving dynamics. It understeers and the weight makes itself noticed as soon as you hit your first corner with a bit more speed than you should. The tires might be the ones making the car lose its mechanical grip, as the 500e we drove came with Michelin Primacy rubber meant to be as efficient as possible and extend the range of the car.

Speaking of which, a lot of people will be curious about this particular subject. Fiat claims that the 42 kWh battery (37.3 kWh usable) in the new 500e should allow you to cover over 300 kilometers on a single charge. Is that doable? Well, during my time with the car I saw an average energy consumption of about 17 kWh around town which would mean you could squeeze about 219 kilometers of range out of it. That was at a temperature of about 10 degrees Celsius and with the heating off, mind you. So quite a bit off from the claimed figures.

As usual, I tried to test out the external range as well but backed off as soon as I went on the highway as I saw how the range was dropping at an incredible pace once I hit 130 km/h. Since the top speed of the 500e is limited to 150 km/h, pushing this car on the highway isn’t the smartest choice. Stick to the city limits and you’ll be fine, just as Fiat recommends.

Therefore, I couldn’t tell you how far you could go on the highway with one of these but I definitely wouldn’t recommend straying too far from the city. On the bright side, all Fiat 500e models come with CCS fast charging and that means you can use up to 85 kW chargers to replenish your battery. If you do, Fiat says you should be able to get from 5% to 80% in 25 minutes which is mighty impressive.

However, we all know how this works. Even though the car can take that much power, the charger itself must also be on top notch condition and that rarely happens. If you have to use a 11 kW Type 2 charger, a full charge should take about 4 hours.

Quirky, But Still Fun

At the end of the day, the Fiat 500e does exactly what it set out to do, offering  decent electric range around town, with a fun to drive chassis and no emissions. Sure, it does have its shortcomings and the real-life range is a bit off compared to the claimed figures, but overall, it still remains the quirky, fun, little bundle of joy we’ve all grown used to over time.

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Three new models with hybrid and electric powertrains will lead the way at the revamped facility and these will carry the Alfa Romeo, Fiat, and Jeep badges. The first of the bunch will reportedly carry the “Brennero” moniker while the other two are expected to be the next-generation 500X and Renegade, respectively.

Little else is known about the trio, but FCA does say the electric and hybrid models are being engineered to accommodate an all-wheel-drive system. According to local reports, the vehicles will ride on PSA’s Common Modular Platform now that FCA and PSA are months away from merging to become Stelantis, the world’s fourth-largest automaker.

Small EVs like the Peugeot e-208 / e-2008 and Opel Corsa-e / Mokka-e already ride on that platform, and it appears more are to come from Alfa Romeo, Fiat, and Jeep. While the Tychy plant assembled 263,176 cars last year, the number is expected to grow to 400,000 units annually with the addition of these three models.

Operational since 1971, the plant currently employs approximately 2,500 workers and has built a multitude of models over the decades, including a non-FCA product – the Ford Ka. By far the most popular of them all was the 126, with 3.3 million assembled, followed by the 500 with 2.3 million units and the Panda with 2.1 million examples.

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This iconic car saw again the sunlight in 2007 when Fiat decided to bring it back from ashes. As you probably know, the idea has been a huge success and for many years this cool but cheap city car drove the company’s sales by itself (together with Panda). Now, it’s time to evolve once more.

The challenge is tough. You know that Italians don’t like cars that don’t burn fuel, but their nostalgia for the good old 500 might turn the tables.

By looking at it, you can immediately recognize the same iconic style that made the original Fiat 500 famous. Round lines, compact body, squared lights. Nevertheless, this is a completely new car, from the outside to the inside. It’s 3630mm long, so don’t expect to be comfortable if you’re going to sit behind, but you’ll be absolutely able to chill in the front seats. Of course, the boot is particularly small, with just 185l of capacity.

The biggest leap forward is to find into the quality of the plastics. Sure, some of them are still rigid, but they feel a lot better than before and the new 10” display helps to deliver a better cabin overall.

The car is equipped with a centrally-mounted 42 kWh battery made by Samsung which should guarantee about 300km (186 miles) and it supports fast charge (30 mins for 75%). Maybe it’s not an outstanding result, but it should be more than enough for an ultra-compact city car. The battery produces 118 hp and 220 Nm of torque.

As mentioned, everything has been renewed. For example, now the suspensions are more comfortable to use in the traffic and the seats are softer, too.

You’ll get to choose between two models: Passion and Icon. The former will cost about €30,000 while the latter will be €31,400. The versions are quite similar, it’s just a matter of optional equipment.

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