The All-Electric Fiat 500 Hatchback: A Complete Guide For Ireland

fiat electric car
Price: From € 25,995
Type of electric vehicle: Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV)
Body type: Hatchback
Battery size: 24 kWh/ 42 kWh
Electric range (WLTP): 190 - 320 km
Tailpipe emissions: 0g (CO2/km)


Electric Cars: The Basics


For those of you new to zero-emission electric driving, we would recommend a read of the following articles:


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The All-Electric Fiat 500 Hatchback


Fiat Automobile S.p.A. is a subsidiary the Netherlands based Stellantis N.V., which was formed by the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (Italian/ American) and Groupe PSA (French). You may not be familiar with these names, but the automotive brands in the portfolio would be well known to most consumers. These include: Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Jeep, Vauxhall, Alfa Romeo etc.

Fiat continues to remain the largest automotive manufacturer in Italy, but also has manufacturing locations globally, with Brazil as the largest international production site. Fiat Automobiles has been recognised in Europe for the lower emission footprint of its vehicles and has been ranked as the lowest level of CO2 emissions by vehicles sold in Europe. The all-electric Fiat 500 has led the transition for the Italian manufacturer to zero-emission electric driving. The company currently has the following portfolio of electric vehicles (EVs):

The Fiat 500 electric car has its roots in the classic 1957 Fiat 500, a car that has been hugely successful and iconic (sold more than 2 million cars globally). The Fiat New 500 EV is bigger than the internal combustion engine (ICE) car: 6 cm in width and length, 22mm longer wheelbase. The EV is available as a hatchback and a convertible.

The pure electric car is well suited for those individuals and families living in towns and cities seeking an environmentally-friendly solution for daily commutes. Like the pure electric Honda e, the Fiat 500 EV is primarily positioned for urban driving, with the flexibility of ample electric range for longer motorway commutes.

The Fiat electric car is available in two EV battery sizes: 24 kWh and 42 kWh. The 24 kWh battery has a zero-emission electric range up to 190 km, while the larger 42 kWh offers a range up to 320 km (WLTP). Of course, these will need to be adjusted for real-world driving conditions, but expect the 24 kWh to be able to deliver 165 km and the 42 kWh to deliver 280 km.

Either way, both variants have much to offer depending on the needs of the family. For those that drive mostly shorter distances for day-to-day commutes, the 24 kWh battery option is more suitable, given the short distances to cover for the local grocery store, school-run, work, high street etc.

For those that expect to drive longer distances on a regular basis, the 42 kWh option will prove more useful. Both variants benefit from DC charging capability. The 24 kWh variant can be charged up to 50 kW DC (0%-80%: 30 mins), while the 42 kWh can be charged up to 85 kW DC (0%-80%: 35 mins).

Both variants incorporate a 11 kW AC (3-phase) onboard charger. For those with access to three-phase charging at home or the workplace, the 24 kW battery can be full charged in 2 hours and 30 minutes, while the 42 kWh EV battery can be fully charged in 4 hours and 15 minutes. Do keep in mind that most homes in Ireland are powered by a single-phase power supply (7.4 kW), resulting in longer charging times.

Though the Fiat pure electric car can be charged via a domestic 3-PIN socket, we at e-zoomed discourage the use of a domestic socket to charge an electric car. It would take up to 8 hours and 45 minutes to charge the 24 kWh EV battery and up to 15 hours and 15 minutes to charge the 42 kWh battery. We encourage charging an electric car using a dedicated EV home charging station like myenergi zappi.

The Fiat electric car does not disappoint in terms of its exterior iconic appeal and its interior is just as appealing. The electric hatchback includes a host of features: intelligent adaptive cruise control, urban blind spot, drone view (360° parking sensors), rear view parking camera, autonomous emergency braking, traffic sign recognition and speed advisor, attention assist, lane keep assist, emergency call and more. The EV also offers a 10.25″ infotainment display and compatibility with Apple Car Play and Android Auto.

In terms of practicality, for urban driving, its compact size and turning circle are certainly useful. However, the rear seats are a tight squeeze and the boot space limited to 185 L. Despite the additional weight of the EV battery (294.3 kg), the front-wheel drive Fiat 500 e can achieve 0-100 km/h in 9 seconds for the 42 kWh variant. The maximum power is up to 118 hp (220 Nm) and a 150 km/h top speed. The 24 kWh variant is just a little slower: 0-100 km/h in 9.5 seconds.

Bottom-line, electric cars are good for the environment and the wallet!


PROS CONS
DC charging up to 85 kWRear seats with limited headroom and legroom
Available in two EV battery sizesNot practical for a larger family
11 kW onboard charger as standardSmall boot space (185 L)

Gallery


The All-Electric Fiat 500 Hatchback (credit: Fiat)


At A Glance
EV Type:Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV)
Body Type:Hatchback
Engine:Electric
Available In Ireland:Yes

Variants (3 Options)
Fiat 500 Action (from € 25,995)
Fiat 500 Icon (from € 29,995)
Fiat 500 La Prima (from € 34,995)

EV Battery & Emissions
EV Battery Type:Lithium-ion
EV Battery Capacity:Available in two sizes: 24 kWh/ 42 kWh
Charging:Up to 85 kW DC Fast Charging. Onboard charger 11 kW AC
EV Cable Type:Type 2
Tailpipe Emissions:0g (CO2/km)
Battery Warranty:8 years or 160,000 km

Average Cost Of Residential Charging
Battery net capacity: 16.7 kWh€ 4.00
Battery net capacity: 30.0 kWh€ 7.19
Battery net capacity: 39.2 kWh€ 9.39
Battery net capacity: 45.0 kWh€ 10.78
Battery net capacity: 50.0 kWh€ 11.98
Battery net capacity: 64.0 kWh€ 15.34
Battery net capacity: 71.0 kWh€ 17.01
Battery net capacity: 77.0 kWh€ 18.45
Battery net capacity: 90.0 kWh€ 21.57
Battery net capacity: 100.0 kWh€ 23.97
  • Note 1: The average cost of residential electricity in Ireland varies depending on the region, supplier and type of energy used. An average for Ireland is 23.97 cents/kWh.
  • Note 2: Not all EV manufactures make available the data on net EV battery capacity, and in a number of instances the EV battery capacity advertised, does not state if it is gross or net capacity. In general, usable EV battery capacity is between 85% to 95% of the gross available capacity.

Charging Times (Overview)
Slow charging AC (3 kW – 3.6 kW):6 – 12 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SOC)
Fast charging AC (7 kW – 22 kW):3 – 8 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Rapid charging AC (43 kW):0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Rapid charging DC (50 kW+):0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Ultra rapid charging DC (150 kW+):0-80% : 20 mins to 40 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Tesla Supercharger (120 kW – 250 kW):0-80%: up to 25 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
  • Note 1: SoC: state of charge

Dimensions
Height (mm):1527
Width (mm):1900
Length (mm):3632
Wheelbase (mm):2322
Turning Circle (m):9.3
Boot Space (L):185

500 (70 kW 93 hp)
EV Battery Capacity:24 kWh
Pure Electric Range (WLTP):190 km
Electric Consumption (kWh/100km):13
Charging:50 kW DC Fast Charging (0%-80%: 30 mins). 11 kW AC onboard charger (0%-100%: 2 hrs 30 mins)
Top Speed:135 km/h
0-100 km/h:9.5 seconds
Drive:Front-wheel drive (FWD)
Electric Motor (kW):70
Max Power (hp):93
Torque (Nm):220
Transmission:Automatic
Seats:4
Doors:3
Kerb Weight (kg):1,365
Colours:4
NCAP Safety Rating:Four-Star

500 (87 KW 118 HP)
EV Battery Capacity:42 kWh
Pure Electric Range (WLTP):299 – 320 km
Electric Consumption (kWh/100km):13.6
Charging:85 kW DC Fast Charging (0%-80%: 35 mins). 11 kW AC onboard charger (0%-100%: 4 hrs 15 mins)
Top Speed:150 km/h
0-100 km/h:9 seconds
Drive:Front-wheel drive (FWD)
Electric Motor (kW):87
Max Power (hp):118
Torque (Nm):220
Transmission:Automatic
Seats:4
Doors:3
Kerb Weight (kg):1,365
Colours:4
NCAP Safety Rating:Four-Star

Types Of Electric Vehicles


Type Of Electric Vehicle (EV) Description
Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicles (MHEVs)Mild hybrids use both an internal combustion engine (ICE) and electric motor. These cars are also known as ‘self-charging hybrids’. The vehicle uses regenerative braking (recuperated electric energy) to improve the fuel efficiency and to reduce tailpipe emissions (CO2 g/km). However, mild hybrids cannot be charged by an external power source (i.e. EV charger). The recuperated electric energy is also used to boost the the combustion engine enhancing acceleration. Automotive manufactures (OEMs) like Toyota are one of the pioneers in developing and introducing mild hybrid vehicles. The ubiquitous Toyota Prius mild hybrid is an excellent example. Toyota also helped popularise the use of mild hybrids in the premium segment via its wholly owned Lexus brand.
Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs)Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) aim to achieve the same objectives like a MHEV i.e. increase fuel efficiency and reduce tailpipe emissions. However there is much difference between a PHEV and a MHEV. The PHEV has a larger electric motor and onboard EV battery that is used to assist the internal combustion engine (ICE), but also to propel the vehicle. In a MHEV, the small onboard electric motor does not propel the vehicle. PHEVs come in varied EV battery sizes, but in general, most PHEVs have an EV battery size below 20 kWh. A plug-in electric car is capable of up to 50 km on electric mode. However, some PHEVs are capable of a longer pure electric range. The Volvo XC60 PHEV is a good example of a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. Moreover, a PHEV EV battery is charged by using an external power source to include, a domestic 3-PIN plug or a dedicated EV charger.
Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV)A battery-electric vehicle is more commonly referred to as a pure electric car. The EV is ‘pure’, in that, the vehicle only uses electric power for propulsion i.e. a BEV does not have an internal combustion engine (ICE). It is easy to recognise these zero-tailpipe emission green cars, as these vehicles are silent (except for the artificial noise) and do not have a tailpipe! The pure electric vehicles have a much larger onboard EV battery compared to a PHEV. The EV battery on a BEV can be as large as 120 kWh, though an average is 60 kWh. In any case, most BEVs have an EV battery larger than 30 kWh. BEVs also use regenerative braking to improve the vehicle efficiency and electric range. However, the main source for the EV range is the EV battery, which can only be charged using an external power source, like an EV charger. BEVs can vary in electric range. However the more recent BEVs have a range between 300 to 500 km (WLTP) on a single charge. As an example, the all-electric VW ID.3 has a range up to 540 km.

While e-zoomed uses reasonable efforts to provide accurate and up-to-date information, some of the information provided is gathered from third parties and has not been independently verified by e-zoomed. While the information from the third party sources is believed to be reliable, no warranty, express or implied, is made by e-zoomed regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information. This disclaimer applies to both isolated and aggregate uses of this information.


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Author

Ashvin Suri

Ashvin has been involved with the renewables, energy efficiency and infrastructure sectors since 2006. He is passionate about the transition to a low-carbon economy and electric transportation. Ashvin commenced his career in 1994, working with US investment banks in New York. Post his MBA from the London Business School (1996-1998), he continued to work in investment banking at Flemings (London) and JPMorgan (London). His roles included corporate finance advisory, M&A and capital raising. He has been involved across diverse industry sectors, to include engineering, aerospace, oil & gas, airports and automotive across Asia and Europe. In 2010, he co-founded a solar development platform, for large scale ground and roof solar projects to include, the UK, Italy, Germany and France. He has also advised on various renewable energy (wind and solar) utility scale projects working with global institutional investors and independent power producers (IPP’s) in the renewable energy sector. He has also advised in key international markets like India, to include advising large-scale industrial and automotive group in India. Ashvin has also advised Indian Energy, an IPP backed by Guggenheim (a US$ 165 billion fund). He has also advised a US$ 2 billion, Singapore based group. Ashvin has also worked in the real estate and infrastructure sector, to including working with the Matrix Group (a US$ 4 billion property group in the UK) to launch one of the first few institutional real estate funds for the Indian real estate market. The fund was successfully launched with significant institutional support from the UK/ European markets. He has also advised on water infrastructure, to include advising a Swedish clean technology company in the water sector. He has also been involved with a number of early stage ventures.

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