Is the 150-Mile Range 2024 Fiat 500e the Right EV Formula?

In the ongoing transition toward electric power, it has become clear that some drivers would be better off without gigantic batteries that add cost and weight in pursuit of a magical driving range rating that will fend off the dreaded range anxiety.

Smaller vehicles with smaller batteries and enough range to cover the vast majority of many drivers’ needs are a logical solution. The 2024 Fiat 500e seems like the poster child for this philosophy.

It relies on a 42-kilowatt-hour nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery that provides an estimated driving range of 149 miles. Motivation is provided by a 117-horsepower, 162-lb.-ft. e-motor that pushes the 500e to 60 mph in an entirely reasonable 8.5 seconds. Top speed is a welcome 94 mph in a world of cars with unusably high V Max numbers.

The Fiat 500e's 117-hp electric drive unit. STELLANTIS

That small battery pack weighs 649 lbs. and the whole car scales at 2,952 lbs., which Fiat says makes it the lightest EV in the US market. For comparison, the 500e weighs the same as the battery by itself in the Hummer EV.

The 500e is small on the inside but manages to not be cramped, at least not in the front seat. Storage capacity in the hatch with the rear seats up is scant at 7.5 cu. ft., and the rear seats themselves are for short-distance use only. But most of the time people drive alone or with one other person, and with the rear seats folded there is plenty of space in the back of the 500e.

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Fiat provides three driving modes: Normal, Range, and Sherpa. In Normal mode, there is no regeneration to charge the battery when the driver lifts off the accelerator pedal, so the car coasts along in the manner of a combustion vehicle with an automatic transmission. Range mode provides the one-pedal driving experience where the car slows when the driver lifts off the pedal. And Sherpa mode is for saving energy to reach a charging station.

Range mode provides the one-pedal driving that I prefer in EVs, though it might be nice to have the ability to adjust the level of regeneration to suit conditions and driver preferences. The 500e’s ride is better than that of the combustion-powered model, thanks to that 600+ pounds of ballast in the floor in the form of the battery pack.

Handling doesn’t suffer noticeably despite the added mass, maybe because the battery improves the weight balance and center of gravity. The front suspension is the typical MacPherson strut design, while the rear uses a dirt-simple twist-beam axle, but that old, cheap design suffered no discernable shortcomings in around-town driving.

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It was the same for the similarly old-fashioned drum rear brakes. With the electric motor slowing the car through regeneration and zero laps around a race track during my test, the less costly drum brakes didn’t let the car down in any way. In fact, drums have been seen as a preferred solution for EVs because the return springs on their shoes ensure that they don’t drag and cause unwanted friction when they aren’t in use. That is a problem with disc brakes

It is easy to forget while driving mostly hulking SUVs that parking doesn’t need to be a headache. The 500e’s tiny size and its tight, 31.5-foot turning diameter make maneuvers in crowded parking lots a breeze, which is a welcome difference from most of the vehicles I test.

One curiosity in the 500e is the brief farewell tune it plays on shut off. Fiat representatives insist that it is definitely not "Joy to the World." Listen and decide for yourselves.

Alas, after all of these examples of the rationality of the less-is-more 500e, there are a couple issues. The minor one first: Charging speed. The notion that drivers can live with a smaller battery because the vast majority of their driving falls within the range of even a smaller battery like the one in the 500e has a flip side. There is the expectation of speedy recharging, considering that the driver will have to use the public DC fast-charging network more frequently than someone whose EV has one of the costly large battery packs.

Related:Stellantis Large EV Platform Claims 500-Mile Range

The 500e features support for wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, has integrated Alexa, and includes a 4G wi-fi hotspot. STELLANTIS

However, the 500e only supports DC fast charging at 85 kW. That's a paltry number in today’s EV environment, where 150 kW chargers are thankfully commonplace. Fiat says that the 500e can charge from 0 to 80 percent in 35 minutes at 85 kW. But wouldn’t it be much better to do that in 20 minutes at 150 kW?

And here’s the thing; you’re going to either charge at a 50-kW charger, in which case the charging station is the limiting factor and having the ability to charge at 85 kW is no benefit, or you’re going to charge at a 150-kW charger, where you’re wasting time because the car can’t keep up with the charging station. The 85-kW rating is a pointless level.

The bigger concern here is that while there are many examples of cost-saving decisions in the 500e’s spec sheet, such as the small battery, and the simple, inexpensive rear suspension and brake designs, the car isn’t cheap.

The bottom line on the tested 500e “Inspired by Beauty” edition was $37,595, including the destination fee. At $10,000 less, the 500e would deliver on the promise of its cost-cutting aspects. At 37 grand, it runs into some competitors that don’t cut the same corners.

This is especially true of those competitors that, unlike the 500e, are eligible for the $7,500 federal tax rebate for US-sourced EVs (for now). So the Fiat 500e manages to be a loveable, easy-to-drive example of how many drivers could be happy with a short-range EV. But it would have to be at a more accessible price.