New ELECTRIC Fiat 500 e WILL go in to production next year

A new electric Fiat 500e will go in to production in Q2 2020 as Fiat confirms a £630 million investment in a new production line for the electric 500.

Last year, shortly before he died, then Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne declared that Fiat’s future was going to be electric, and that an electric Fiat 500 would be the headline act.

It was a complete volte-face from Marchionne’s previous stance on electric cars (he begged US buyers not to buy the previous electric 500 as it made a loss for Fiat), but a clear sign Marchionne had realised which way the wind was blowing.

Since that announcement last year we’ve heard very little about the new electric Fiat 500, but now Fiat has confirmed it’s investing £630 million in a new production line for the electric 500, and that production will start in Q2 2020.

The new 500e is expected to be built on a new platform with a new – but still very familiar – look, and to spawn an estate version to in a revival of the 1960s 500 Giardiniera.

Fiat has revealed no details of the powertrain for the electric 500, but it’s hard to imagine that it will come with a huge battery pack and long range.

Instead, we expect Fiat to follow the same path as MINI has with the new MINI Electric, delivering an electric 500 with a modest battery pack and a range of around 140 miles, aiming to come to market with a price tag under £25,000.

With a public debut for the new electric 500 likely to be at Geneva 2020, expect more details to filter through before then.