Fiat 500e Review (2021-present)
Fiat 500 cars for sale
4.0
Expert review
Pros
Affordable for an EV
Drives very well, both in town and on the open road
High-tech infotainment system
Cons
Lumpy and unsettled ride
Cramped rear seats
Short range with the smaller battery
The CarGurus verdict
The Fiat 500e is a fantastic small EV, a car that you can buy with your head as much as your heart. It’s relatively affordable by electric car standards, great to drive around town and surprisingly competent on the open road, and it’s now up there with the best rivals when it comes to infotainment.
A more pliant ride quality and some proper cable storage would be very welcome, and there are more practical alternatives out there. But with the long range battery, generous equipment, keen pricing and outright ‘want one’ factor, the Fiat 500e – or the Fiat New 500 if you must – is a fantastic small car and one of our favourite electric cars.
What is the Fiat 500?
The Fiat New 500 is an all-new version of Fiat’s much-loved and phenomenally successful city car. It’s been 15 years since the launch of the previous Fiat 500, while the very first, original 500 was a mere fifty years prior to that.
New 500 models don’t come along very often, then, so it’s good news that Fiat seems to have got almost everything about its dinky electric vehicle just right. Apart from the name, that is. Officially, it’s called the 'Fiat New 500', but we’ll refer to it as the 500e (as per the badging on its rump) from hereon in. After all, it's just a much neater name.
Plus, it better highlights the fact that this plug-in version of the baby Fiat is pure electric only. The ‘other’ 500 is technically a hybrid, but it sits towards the very mildest end of the hybrid spectrum with no need to plug in, but also no electric-only capability. Think of it as a traditional petrol car with a slight improvement in fuel economy. This model is expected to remain in the line up for a few more years, but it will eventually be phased out in favour of its all-electric counterpart. It’s essentially the same package – barring the engine – as the old Fiat 500, which you can read about here.
Nomenclature aside, the 500e is a brilliant small EV. It is offered with two battery options – a 23.8kWh unit with an official WLTP range of 115 miles and a 42kWh unit with an official WLTP range of 193.9 to 199.5 miles (depending on the exact spec). Fiat is also one of the only manufacturers to offer an electric convertible in the shape of the 500e Convertible, which is only available with the larger of the two batteries, providing an official range of 188 miles from a full charge.
How practical is it?
The 500e offers a really smart, modern interior that features classy-looking materials, retro design details and a driving position with much more adjustment than was offered in the last 500, so even tall drivers will now be able to get comfortable.
Rear passengers will be rather short on leg- and headroom, and getting into those seats is awkward thanks to the 500e’s three-door body too. Boot space is limited to 185 litres in both the hatchback and cabrio, although the latter also gets a much smaller boot opening as well. Incidentally, the total amount of boot space remains the same as the Hybrid model, so you don’t lose any practicality by going electric – but neither do you gain any.
Given that any 500 is likely to be used by those without children, or as a second car in a family household, it’s practical enough. If space is a priority, conventional petrol alternatives like the Hyundai i10 have way more space despite a similarly small footprint, or electric alternatives like the Vauxhall Corsa Electric or Peugeot e-208 (both of which are five-door cars) are also roomier alternatives.
What's it like to drive?
The 500e is nippy and well suited for muddling through heavy urban traffic. The entry-level 23.8kWh car has a 92bhp electric motor and 9.5sec 0-62mph time, as opposed to the 117bhp and 9.0sec sprint time that the 42kWh cars have.
The top-spec 500e Cabrio gets the more powerful motor, too, and has plenty of urgency around town, while the steering is light but precise enough to feel confident even on faster roads. It even feels fine on the motorway. A bit prone to being buffeted about by crosswinds, perhaps, but otherwise composed and confident, with features like cruise control and lane keep assist also helping to make it feel safe and secure.
We would like a softer ride, as the electric 500 can feel a bit lumpy and unsettled over scruffy surfaces. It’s not intrusive enough to be a deal breaker, though.
You’ll want ‘Normal’ drive mode out on the open road, as this is the mode that gives decent throttle response and mild brake regeneration that’s barely noticeable. Range mode brings much heavier brake regeneration that is strong enough for one-pedal driving around town (where you barely need to touch the brake pedal at all). Sherpa mode is an even more frugal mode that has the same brake regeneration but limits top speed and air-con, and so is best saved for when you’re in dire need of the maximum possible range.
Once you’ve got used to the drive modes and the heavy, if fairly predictable, brake regen in Range and Sherpa modes, the 500e is a cheerful and fun car to drive that also feels much more grown up than the old model.
Speaking of which, if you go for the petrol-powered Fiat 500, the only engine option is a 70bhp three-cylinder, paired with a six-speed manual transmission. It needs to be revved hard to get the best out of it, and doesn’t have the same character as the old TwinAir engine (found in earlier versions of the 500). It feels perky enough around town, but nought to 62mph takes a leisurely 13.8 seconds. The major advantage the petrol-powered 500 Hybrid has over the 500e, however, is that it costs barely half as much.
Technology, equipment & infotainment
The 500e is currently available in three trim specs: RED, Icon and New 500 Prima by Bocelli. This isn’t so much a traditional ‘step up’ through the model range, but a question of picking the flavour that you want – RED and Icon will set you back the same price of just under £30,000 before options. The former comes with a unique RED Kit comprising a cabin air filter, antibacterial treatment on the surfaces and a hand sanitiser dispenser (we kid you not) along with a red-painted dashboard and a choice of three unique seat fabrics with RED detailing; the latter offers a series of exterior colours inspired by nature, plus an eco-leather steering wheel and seats made of recycled marine plastics. Bocelli, meanwhile, comes with its own styling tweaks, plus an uprated JBL hifi system. All models come with LED headlights, a 10.25-inch infotainment system and automatic air conditioning.
If you’re looking at used examples, the 500e was originally offered in three trims, starting with the 500e Passion, which got cruise control, LED daytime running lights and a 7-inch touchscreen. This system is fairly straightforward to use, and it gets Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay, ‘natural’ voice control, navigation with car charger search function, digital radio and USB connectivity. Icon trim ups the touchscreen to 10.25-inch, and also includes keyless entry, while features such as wood trim and a vegan steering wheel finish are also on offer. An even higher spec La Prima model was offered from launch as a limited run model.
As we've mentioned, you can also have the 500e as a convertible. As with the outgoing 500 Cabrio, the fabric roof scrolls all the way back between fixed roof arches. You could argue that it’s not a ‘proper’ convertible, being more reminiscent of a big sunroof, but you can’t argue that it adds a nifty design appeal, and you’ve got to be very tired of life to not enjoy the cute looks and cheery, fresh air fun it brings as you whirr around town.
Fiat 500e running costs
The Fiat 500e is very reasonably priced by electric car standards. The Fiat 500e will also be cheaper to run than a ‘normal’ combustion engine alternative, since electricity is currently much cheaper than petrol or diesel. The 42kWh Fiat 500e will cost under £10 for a full battery if you charge up at home, or less than half that if you make use of off-peak tariffs.
How far you get for that money will depend on what sort of real-world range you get. Our experience of the Fiat 500 suggests that in the 42kWh car you can expect to see around 120 to 140 miles from a full charge in winter, and 160 to 170 miles in summer (every EV is more efficient in warm weather and at slower speeds).
Not only that, but you pay no road tax, and you’re exempt from the London Congestion Charge, so anyone who drives into the capital stands to benefit most.
Company car tax costs are also extremely low; you’ll save thousands in Benefit in Kind tax by opting for an electric car over a petrol, diesel or even hybrid alternative. Other electric city cars and hatchbacks will be similarly affordable to run, but with competitive finance rates and list prices, the 500e is one of the most attainable EVs on sale.
What if you go for the Hybrid? The regular 500 offers 60.1 to 61.4mpg, so it’s still cheaper to run than a typical petrol car, although it’s not that different to the old 1.2-litre non-hybrid models.
Fiat 500e reliability
Fiat has traditionally had a bit of a mixed reputation for reliability. The Italian manufacturer finished 30th out of the 32 brands in the 2022 What Car? Reliability Index. In the past, there have been a number of recalls of the old 500, plus reports of issues ranging from loose trim to gearbox failures.
With the New 500 should come a fresh start. There’s not enough data out there to draw any definitive conclusions just yet, but the all-electric car shares very few parts with its predecessor. Fiat’s three-year, unlimited mileage warranty (the first two years are with Fiat, while the third is with the retailer directly) is shorter than a lot of its competitors, notably Hyundai and Kia. You can purchase fixed price Easy Care service packages ranging from one year and 9,000 miles for £99 up to five years and 45,000 miles for £449.
- The bigger battery 500e models get faster charging. The 42kWh cars get 85kW rapid charging that’s good for a 100 mile top-up in around 20 minutes, provided you plug into a CCS rapid charger capable of those speeds. The original base car with its 23.8kWh battery was limited to 50kW rapid charging, which meant that the same top-up would take more like 40 minutes courtesy of the standard CCS rapid charging socket fitted to every 500e. A home wallbox will fully charge the 42kWh 500e in seven hours, or 4.5 hours for the smaller battery. The CCS and Type 2 sockets in the 500e are the European standard sockets and will be compatible with the vast majority of public chargers in the UK and Europe.
- The 500e gets a phone app that allows for remote control of the charging. You can see how much range the car has, or choose to delay charge times to make good use of off-peak tariffs (something that you can also do via the car’s screen). You can also check the car’s location, search for car chargers and see if the car’s locked via the app.
- An ‘Acoustic Vehicle Alert System’ is standard on the 500e; it makes a low, warning hum when you’re about town to warn pedestrians that there’s a car moving about. And just in case you’d forgotten that the 500e is proudly Italian, when you first set off and go above 12.5mph, it plays a few moments of the theme tune to famous Italian movie, Amarcord. Don’t worry, we’d not heard of it either, but it is quite amusing and unmistakably Italian. Thankfully, it only does it the once when you first drive away after turning the car on, and you can choose to turn it off.
- If you’re buying new and want the best value: Our pick of the range is the Fiat 500e Icon hatchback, which gets plenty of kit, including a 10.25-inch touchscreen system, 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control and climate control, so it strikes a good balance between comfort, convenience and cost.
- If you need a second hand runabout for the city: The range offered by the 23.8kWh battery can be limiting if you wish to travel longer distances or if you’re reliant on finding public charging points. But if you do a lot of short journeys around town with access to your own charging point, the smaller battery represents the most affordable route into 500e ownership. The entry-level Fiat 500e Action is about as affordable as nearly-new EV motoring comes.
- If you want the most stylish: If you’re all about looking good, go for a 500e Cabriolet in either Icon or La Prima trim. They’re expensive next to the more moderate trims that we favour, but they do look fantastic and have really generous equipment levels.
- If you do occasional long distance journeys: There’s not much to choose between them, but go for the Icon and stick with the smaller 16-inch wheels (17-inch wheels are a cost option) and you’ll get the longest official range of the bunch at 199.5 miles.
- If you’re buying a used example for a new driver: Any of the Fiat 500e models have great safety standards, including autonomous emergency braking around town, lane-keep assist and four airbags. We’d still go for the Passion if you can stretch to it, especially if the car might need to do the occasional long trip to university and back, as the longer range of its 42kWh battery will be really useful.
- If you’re on a budget: Don’t forget the Hybrid model. It’s not as quick or as refined as the electric 500e and its interior doesn’t feel as special. It may also prove more expensive to run in the long term, with prices per mile for petrol cars higher than those for EVs. But it’s hard to ignore a difference of nearly two-to-one in the purchase price if you’re buying outright.
