Many brands, including Bentley and Aston Martin, are delaying the introduction of electric vehicles because of low market demand. For the same reason, Fiat wants to make major changes to an electric vehicle already in production: the 500e, which could also be offered in the United States with an internal combustion engine.
Fiat will adapt a mild hybrid engine to the 500e because of the low demand for electric vehicles
The electric 500e landed in the United States recently, but has been on sale in Europe since 2020, where it is offered alongside the older and less expensive “standard” 500, built on a completely different platform. However, the older 500 with an internal combustion engine will no longer be sold in Europe, as from July 2024 it will no longer be homologated due to the introduction of new laws, but it will continue to be sold in Africa.
Fiat has decided not to invest in this model to make sure it meets European standards for safety and cybersecurity. The Italian automaker will focus on the Panda, renamed the Pandina with the arrival of the new electric Panda.
However, sales of the electric 500e have not grown as expected and the electric car market is slowing down sharply. Data Force reports that the Fiat 500 sold about 104,000 units with internal combustion engines in Europe last year, but only 62,000 of the new 500e.
Fiat now plans to adapt an ICE engine to the EV model. The hybrid-adapted 500e will be produced, as well as the electric version, at the Mirafiori plant in Turin. Production of the “standard” Fiat 500 will move from Poland to Algeria, a place that makes more sense since it will continue to be sold in Africa. Converting an electric vehicle is not an easy project and will take time. The automaker will have to adapt the 69-hp 1.0-liter three-cylinder FireFly hybrid engine. The hybrid variant of the 500e will not be ready for sale until late 2025. This means that in Europe the Fiat 500 with the internal combustion engine will not have a replacement for more than 18 months.