Fiat 500 EV
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The 2012 Fiat 500 minicar started out as one model: a three-door hatchback. That was followed by a cabriolet (500C) with a roll-back cloth roof, and then the turbocharged 500 Abarth sporty model. Next up in the lineup may be the electric Fiat 500, which Car and Driver says will be dubbed the 500E. We think that's a smart name, certainly better than the early "500 BEV" (for battery-electric vehicle) the concept was saddled with at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show. It's also likely easier to read and pronounce than the "500 Elettra" seen on the road more than two years ago. Chrysler said in March...
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Chrysler Admits: Electric Fiat 500 Is Compliance Car We Don't Want To MakeThree weeks ago, we listed five upcoming electric cars that we felt were strictly "compliance cars"--or vehicles carmakers offer not because they want to, but because they must do so to comply with California zero-emission vehicle rules. Now Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has admitted that his...
John Voelcker -
Electric Fiat 500 Spied Testing In Michigan, Intro For 2013 Likely
Almost two years ago, in January 2010, a mysterious electric version of the Fiat 500 appeared the Detroit Auto Show on the Chrysler stand. Then, two months later, Chrysler said it would sell an electric 500 in the U.S. market. Engineers at the company's Auburn Hills, Michigan, headquarters would...
John Voelcker -
Libyan Rebels Find Even Bad Men (Qaddafi) Love Electric Cars
Let’s face it: If you ask Joe Public to describe the personal attributes of your average electric car owner, you'd probably get a description of a left-leaning, affluent and well-educated individual on the east or west coast of the U.S. A less-polite individual may even chose to add a few...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
In the Red: Each Fiat 500 Electric Car Loses Chrysler $10k
There is nothing a company CEO hates more than not making a profit on a product, but as Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne knows, it is sometimes a necessary evil in the evolution of a new technology. Speaking at Fiat S.p.A’s general meeting on Wednesday, Marchionne spoke frankly about his...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
7 Small Cars Make List Of 25 Cars Worth Waiting For
Recently, my April 2011 print edition of Car and Driver came in the mail and the cover article peaked my interest. Who wouldn’t want to know what the “25 Cars Worth Waiting For” are, especially given the new technology being incorporated into cars? It feels like it is just a...
Jonathan McGrew -
Last summer, when Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne lauded his company's line of European vehicles that run on compressed natural gas, it may have seemed like an off-the-cuff remark. But in fact, natural gas may be the only green or alternative fuel that Chrysler can feasibly adopt in any kind of reasonable time. Mainstream models first Newly managed and partially owned by Italian automaker Fiat, Chrysler's main task has been to modernize its archaic lineup of non-truck passenger vehicles. Almost every vehicle it sells has been upgraded for 2011. The restyled models, with all-new interiors...
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Snapped on the Street: Fiat 500 Electric Car Visits Palo Alto
The great thing about having your company headquartered in Palo Alto, California, is that you never quite know what you'll see on the street. There are lots of expensive cars like BMWs and Bentleys floating around. There are also a disproportionate number of Tesla Roadsters, since the company is...
John Voelcker -
2011 Fiat 500 Four-Door Model Being Developed for U.S. Sales
Regular readers know we're eagerly awaiting the U.S. arrival of the 2011 Fiat 500 mini-car, the very first fruits of Chrysler's takeover by Italian maker Fiat. Now it looks like yet another variant may join the range of Fiat 500 models in U.S. showrooms. Auto-industry trade journal Automotive News...
John Voelcker -
Chrysler Kills Ram Two-Mode Hybrid Pickup Truck After All
The big green car news from Chrysler yesterday was its announcement that it would build an electric version of the Fiat 500 mini-car for the U.S. market. Win one, lose one, perhaps. The company also dropped a death notice: It has ended development of its Ram Two-Mode Hybrid pickup truck, scheduled...
John Voelcker -
2011 Fiat 500 Mini-Car On Sale By End of Year, Chrysler Says
Well, here's some good news: We have less than a year to wait before the neat little Fiat 500 hatchback goes on sale at selected Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram dealers. When it arrives, it'll be Chrysler's greenest car by a pretty big margin. EPA fuel efficiency ratings haven't yet been issued for the...
John Voelcker -
2010 Detroit Auto Show: Fiat 500 BEV Concept On Chrysler's Crowded Stand
We'd be remiss if we didn't at least nod to the electric Fiat 500 displayed within the many brands on the Chrysler stand. We've written before about an earlier electric Fiat 500 conversion shown 18 months ago at the London Motor Show, but this one came with far less info. Chrysler mounted a new...
John Voelcker -
Fiat Micro Car Could Be Integral To Chrysler’s Success In the Future
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Detroit Auto Show Preview: Electric Fiat 500 Mini-Car
An electric Fiat 500 has been rumored for several months now, including before the lengthy October press conference where Chrysler laid out its survival plan. But now, it appears that Chrysler will show an electric Fiat 500 mini-car as one of two concepts it will have on display at next month's...
John Voelcker
