What the Electric Fiat 500e Is Like—From a Fiat 500 Owner

It's besides bully to usage a car with modern amenities similar lane guidance and car braking erstwhile it detects a pedestrian. Heck, adjacent having a reversing camera is nice. However, the Fiat 500e perpetually warns maine astir “emergency vehicles” successful beforehand connected the show (it plays a scarily large sound, too), but it's unluckily incorrect 80 percent of the time. Stop giving maine a bosom attack!

The Old Range-and-Charging Problem

You're getting a roughy 150-mile scope connected the Fiat 500e, which is OK for however often I drive. I don't commute for work, truthful astir of my trips are for leisure. I did thrust the 500e much often than I astir apt would successful a mean week, but aft 4 days, I went from 96 to 41 percent aft astir 53 miles. This poses a occupation erstwhile I request to marque the occasional longer jaunt, similar erstwhile visiting my in-laws oregon going connected a roadworthy trip.

I person a location with a parking spot successful New York City, which makes maine precise privileged and fortunate to beryllium capable to complaint from home—however, the charger Fiat includes was conscionable a smidge excessively abbreviated to scope the charging outlet astatine the backmost of my house. Regardless, galore folks are not going to person a luxury similar that and volition person to usage charging stations. When I tried looking for charging stations adjacent me, astir each were described arsenic “slow.” Thankfully, determination was conscionable 1 marked arsenic “fast.”

But earlier that, earlier successful the week I recovered myself adjacent WIRED's Manhattan office, and I figured I'd find a spot to parkland and complaint the car portion I sat successful the bureau for 2 hours. The archetypal parking store I went to was full, truthful they turned maine away. The 2nd I went to said it'd outgo $60 to complaint and parkland for 2 hours because, successful New York City, you're not paying lone for energy but besides existent estate. Sixty dollars boosted my artillery from 41 to 77 percent. It's worthy noting that I regularly wage astir $35 each 2 weeks to refuel my state Fiat 500 (and it takes a fewer minutes).

Finding the right fast-charging presumption is important. The 1 adjacent my location that had plentifulness of spots disposable (on a Thursday evening), and I watched galore EV drivers passing the clip successful their cars arsenic they charged, watching videos connected their phones. I pulled up, plugged the car in, and aft astir 20 minutes I had gained 20 percent, which outgo maine astir $4. Now I tin get utilized to that.

I didn't get to trial thrust the Fiat 500e connected a longer trip, though I ideate I'd person to beryllium a spot much meticulous astir making definite determination are accelerated chargers connected my way and clip it truthful that a 30-minute recharge could possibly autumn close during a luncheon oregon bath break. It's much involved, and this is arguably the biggest intermission I'd person astir buying an EV if I often marque agelong trips (but I don't).

Let’s Talk Money

While I was researching a car to buy, I often saw the backronym for Fiat: Fix It Again Tony. These cars look to person earned a mediocre estimation for reliability and attraction implicit the years. I had the 500 I bought inspected, and it was successful just condition, though the erstwhile proprietor did archer maine they had to regenerate the car's doorway handles aft they broke off. I person ne'er heard of a car's doorway handles conscionable breaking off, but seemingly it's a communal occupation among Fiats. I can't accidental overmuch astir the reliability of the Fiat 500e successful the US, but I'm hoping it's improved.

The elephant successful the country is the $32,500 starting terms (the exemplary I tested starts astatine $36,000). You person tons of EV options with much country and amended range, similar the Nissan Leaf, Hyundai Kona Electric, and the Tesla Model 3.

However, if you're aft a small car, determination truly aren't galore options successful the US, prevention the caller Mini Cooper SE, which has a $30,900 starting price. I'm consistently envious watching my UK counterparts enjoying a suite of tiny and affordable electrical cars—we request them here, too. (I would wholly thrust the Microlino.)

The Fiat 500e is excessively expensive, but we're starved for prime successful the US, particularly for tiny EVs that look great. The Fiat 500e is conscionable that. I'd easy take to thrust it implicit my state model; excessively atrocious it's retired of my budget. It besides doesn't travel successful yellowish (boo!). If Fiat could lick those 2 problems, I'd happily unfastened my wallet.