Confirming both the statement and timing made back in March of this year, Fiat is hard at work on the fully electric Fiat 500 EV that is set to hit the road sometime in 2012.
At first glance it would be easy to think that this is simply a Fiat 500 with a slightly tweaked front end, but in a lucky twist of fate, someone at Fiat forgot to close the filler door that now clearly contains a U.S. spec 240-volt charging plug port. And then there's the issue of the "EV" sticker on the rear window. Almost like they wanted people to see this.
No real information has slipped out on the 500 EV beyond the initial statements. Pricing is, of course, the big question after Marchionne's comments that the 500 EV could be three times the cost of a base 500 and that Fiat was willing to take a $10,000 hit on each 500 EV sold. Three times the price of a base 500 minus $10,000 would put the 500 EV right around $35,000 -- the same price as the Leaf and about $5,000 more than the Mitsubishi i-MiEV.
lostboyz says:
12:05 PM, 10/20/11
No plate and looks like a test track, so I'm not sure about "Almost like they wanted people to see this. " Yes if you are camping out on Chrysler property, they want to show you what they are doing.
wtrikerno1 says:
12:18 PM, 10/20/11
Who cares about its EV powertrain, check out that dinky windshield wiper! That thing is tiny and weird, how could you not mention such a vital bit of new-car info coming out of these spy photos? Do a better job, or I'm going to go somewhere else for my free automotive content. Jerk.
minibro77 says:
03:44 PM, 10/20/11
Does it have a back seat??? Where did they install the batteries?
sal_hepatica says:
05:08 PM, 10/20/11
wtrikerno1: Those are the stock windshield wipers. Every Fiat has one large and one small windshield wiper. As a Fiat owner, I can assure you they work just fine.
turbo6spdfun says:
07:52 AM, 10/21/11
Wow insideline thanks for getting spy shots of this car...I mean really what the hell has happend to insideline. this is just pathetic.
rayzor says:
09:41 AM, 10/21/11
Cool! Now, I am looking forward to yet another great musical commerical featuring JLo...Yes!!