The electric-only 2021 Fiat 500 now in Europe
Meet the new 2021 Fiat 500
There’s an episode of Top Gear from 2009 in which the three hosts drive new hatchbacks to Notting Hill in London from their studio in Surrey, in order to determine the defining “cool city car” of Britain’s most wealthy.
The trio of hosts cruise around London, one in a Skoda (bad choice), another in a Renault (slightly better choice) and the third in an Alfa Romeo (cool but wildly impractical choice.) For the final test, they agree that whoever sees another one of their cars wins.
But none of them do.
Instead, Jeremy, Richard and James drive through Notting Hill to find the streets lined with Fiat 500s — and therefore claim it to be the definite cool city car.
While the 500 doesn’t pack that same punch in America — and certainly is now more ubiquitous in the UK — it remains one of the prettiest and most fun to drive of all small cars on the market.
The Italian automakers have continued that trend with the newest version of the car, an all electric Fiat 500e that hit the roads in continental Europe at the end of last year.
This model, however, is different. The remastered 500 — a remake of a classic Fiat of the 50s — reemerged in the mid 2000s, and was subtly tweaked for the first 10 years of its existence.
But with the world of automobiles going increasingly green, Fiat announced that the 2021 500e would be electric only.
While it might make sense for a small car meant to be taken on small drives to make that switch, it’s certainly something of a risk — especially with skepticism surrounding the usability of electric cars.
Yet Fiat appears to have quelled those fears. Early reviews from Europe suggest that the 500 is remarkably practical. Though heavier than its predecessors, the base model offers a 115-mile range from a 24kWh battery. It’s also quite zippy, going from 0-60 in 9.5 seconds.
There are further versions on the way, too. Fiat has rolled out a more advanced model with a larger battery, offering another 70 miles of range. They’re also promising up to 7.4 kw/h worth of charging, making for a full charge in around 6 hours at home.
It’s also the first small car to feature level 2 autonomous driving — accelerating, breaking and staying in its lane all by itself.
But in small city cars, charging isn’t really the point. This is a machine designed for small commutes. The appeal, then, is in the aesthetic, and the perks. In other words, is it cool? Consumers in Italy seemed to think so, as the 500’s debut coincided with a record month in EV sales.
The 500 is poised to proliferate around Europe over the coming months, with a U.S. rollout potentially in the works. It appears, then, that going electric-only hasn’t hurt the reputation of the world’s coolest small car.
Borrow and the Fiat 500e
We have the previous generation of the Fiat 500e available at Borrow and its proven to be one of the most popular models in our fleet — practical and fun to drive around LA. It's a real head turner and, we may add, priced right.
If and when the new model makes its debut on American roads, hopefully later this year, we hope to add it to our lineup. For now, you can check out available models here and use the promo code “NEWYEAR10” on your reservation.
By Tom Hindle
Borrow is an electric vehicle subscription company with one goal: to make driving an EV as simple and accessible as possible. Borrow is the only electric vehicle subscription service of its kind with a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and decarbonizing the everyday drive.