Fiat 500e rated at 122 MPGe city, with 87-mile range

By Stephen Edelstein Published January 7, 2013

For a car Fiat didn’t want to build, the 500e did surprisingly well in EPA testing. Fiat’s little EV was rated at 112 MPGe city and 108 MPGe highway; its official range is 87 miles. That means this limited-production model won’t embarrass itself when compared to other EVs.

When Fiat unveiled the 500e at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show, it said the car could travel up to 100 miles in city driving, and at least 80 miles in mixed city and highway driving. The official 87-mile range more or less splits the difference, and compares favorably with EVs like the Nissan Leaf (79 miles) and Honda Fit (82 miles).

Recommended Videos

Fiat calls the 500e’s range “best-in-class among volume manufacturers” but, as the numbers show, this is a case of parity, not domination. Luckily for Fiat, comparing a 500e to a Tesla Model S would be too ridiculous to contemplate.

Things are equally muddled in the MPGe comparison. The Leaf is rated at 106 MPGe city and 99 MPGe highway, giving a 500e a decent advantage. However, the Fiat is much smaller than the Nissan, and the equally tiny Honda is rated at 132 MPGe city and 105 MPGe highway.

At least when someone buys a 500e, they’ll get a Fiat 500’s retro styling. They’ll also get a 111 horsepower electric motor (10 hp more than a base gasoline 500) and a 24-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. A full charge takes four hours with a Level 2 (240-volt) charger.

All of this is somewhat moot, though. Fiat is only building the 500e to comply with California’s Zero Emission Vehicle regulations so, like the Scion iQ EV, it will not be a mass-market item.

The 500e will only be sold in California, and its price has not been disclosed. At the LA Show, Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said his company will lose $10,000 per car, so don’t expect the 500e to be cheap, or plentiful.

Despite its lack of enthusiasm, Fiat has delivered a solid EV, at least on paper. The 500e’s range and MPGe put it right in the middle of the current EV crowd, which is pretty good for a rush job.

Topics

Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

Cars

If you don’t have a car battery jump starter yet, get this one for only $133

The Avapow W68 car battery jump starter and its accessories.

You won't always need a car battery jump starter, but it's much better to buy one now than to miss it when you need it. You don't have to spend a lot of cash on one too, because there are offers like Walmart's $187 discount for the Avapow W68 car battery jump starter. From its original price of $320, it's all the way down to an affordable $133. We're not sure how much time is remaining for you to be able to take advantage of this bargain though, so you need to complete your purchase right now if you don't want to miss out on the savings.

Why you should buy the Avapow W68 car battery jump starter
There are a few reasons why a car battery loses its charge, including when the car isn't used for a long period of time, the car battery is too old, or you leave power-consuming accessories like the lights or the radio on while the engine is off. Jump-starting a car is an easy process if you have the right tools for it, and the Avapow W68 car battery jump starter has everything that you need. It provides up to 6000A of peak current that's suitable for all 12-volt vehicles -- not just cars but also boats, TVs, tractors, lawnmowers, snowmobiles, and more. It also comes with its own jumper cables with intelligent clamps that will notify you if there are any issues with how you're using them.

Cars

Honda doubles down on ‘holy grail’ of EV batteries

honda solid state battery production first electric suv 3

While some automakers are scaling back their production of electric vehicles, Honda is basking in the glow of a successful launch of its Prologue EV in the U.S., and was recently dubbed “North America’s most committed automaker.”

And now, Japan’s third-largest automaker is showing a similar commitment to making EVs more efficient and affordable, zeroing in on the production of its own in-house solid-state batteries, also known as the ‘holy grail’ of EV batteries.

Cars

If you’ve been planning on buying an EV, now might be the time

Kia EV9 GT-Line Three Quarters

Well, the days of being able to count on a $7,500 rebate on EV purchases may be coming to a close. The federal EV tax credit has long been a way for many customers to justify the purchase of an electric vehicle over a traditional gas-powered one, especially considering the fact that EVs are typically more expensive upfront (though they cost less to maintain and power over time). Many of the most popular EV models have qualified for the credit over the years, including the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, Kia EV6, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and so on.

With the upcoming change in administration, those days could soon be over. According to a report from Reuters, President-elect Donald Trump's transition team is reportedly planning to kill the EV tax credit -- a move that would likely dissuade many potential buyers from opting for an EV.