Abarth presents first electric vehicle model

Fiat’s in-house tuner Abarth will launch the brand’s first purely electric model based on the Fiat 500e. Abarth has made changes to the appearance and the electric drive – but not to the battery.

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The electric motor of the Abarth 500e has an output of 113 kW. That is 26 kW more than the Fiat 500e. The sprint from standstill to 100 km/h is said to be achieved in 7 seconds (Fiat 500e: 9 seconds). In addition, Abarth emphasises in the press release the improved acceleration from 20 to 40 km/h (50 per cent faster) or from 40 to 60 km/h (one second faster). The electric drive is “the perfect technology to increase driving pleasure – more sprinting ability, better balance, more stability and optimum road holding”.

Those who prefer a smoother acceleration instead of the emphatically “responsive” acceleration can switch to the “Turismo Mode”. In this driving mode, power is limited to 100 kW (and 220 instead of 235 Nm of torque), and the accelerator pedal characteristic has also been adapted, allowing one-pedal driving as in “Scorpion Street Mode” (with the full 113 kW). The “Scorpion Trek Mode” is designed for maximum sportiness, here the recuperation is reduced.

The tuning brand is hoping for better performance from the electric motor, but the Italians cannot completely let go of their own combustion engine history: the car has a sound generator function that is supposed to reproduce the “legendary sound of the Abarth engine”.

As with the standard model, the battery offers 42 kWh of energy content and can be charged via AC with 11 kW and via DC up to 85 kW. According to the manufacturer, it can be charged to 80 per cent in 35 minutes.

The Abarth 500e will be launched in Europe and Brazil. At the start, there will be a fully equipped Launch Edition with the additional name Scorpionissima. This is limited to 1,949 units and is available as a convertible or closed. Pre-orders for the Launch Edition have already been opened, but for the first month only members of the Abarth community will be eligible. The manufacturer has not yet announced prices.

As reported, Abarth, much like Fiat, is to become a pure BEV brand in Europe by 2027.

Update 01 March 2023

After the debut of the all-electric Abarth 500e in November 2022, the Scorpionissima launch edition is now available in the UK at prices starting from £38,695 with first deliveries expected in June. For the launch, the vehicle is available in Italy, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, UK, Portugal, and Spain. The next targets have also been announced with Austria, France, and Switzerland.

According to Stellantis, the launch edition is almost sold out, with more than 1,500 of the vehicles pre-booked online, and only a few hundred still available.

Update 05 March 2023

Following its introduction with the limited Launch Edition Scorpionissima, the Abarth 500e is now available as a production model. The Fiat house tuner offers a closed version marketed as a sedan and a convertible with a fabric top, both in the Abarth 500e and Abarth 500e Turismo equipment variants. List prices for the closed version start from £34,195 in the UK while the Abarth 500e Turismo starts from £38,195 OTR.

stellantis.com, stellantis.com (update), stellantis.com (update II)