Stellantis to make the Fiat 500 electric more affordable
Stellantis is investing 100 million euros to “boost the potential of the iconic Fiat 500e”, according to the car manufacturer’s press release. There is also talk of improving the customer experience with the more affordable version and expanding production of the model. Stellantis has not yet provided any details on what exactly this revision will look like, what data the new model will have and, above all, how much it will cost.
In the UK, the price for the electric 500 with the 23.8 kWh battery starts at £28,195. With the larger 42 kWh battery, prices start at£31,195. However, there is also an offer that Fiat launched last summer to balance the cancelled e-mobility subsidy from the British government. There are also the 3+1 body versions and the convertible, each of which is slightly more expensive than the three-door model with the two battery options.
The Fiat 500 Electric and its offshoot, the Abarth 500e, are built at the Mirafiori plant in Italy. The product upgrade with the cheaper model is only mentioned in passing in the press release, as the focus is actually on the production itself. This is because Stellantis has now also started producing electrified dual clutch transmissions (eDCTs) for new hybrid vehicles of its brands in Mirafiori. Up to 600,000 eDCTs per year will be manufactured at this site in addition to production in Metz, France.
Short-time working in Mirafiori until 20 April
With the new hybrid gearbox production facility, another project is being added to the plant. Stellantis is investing a total of 240 million euros in the site in order to develop the plant into a “globally unique and well-equipped hub for functional areas such as design, technical development and technology, manufacturing, supply chain and recycling”. “The ‘Mirafiori Automotive Park 2030’ represents the vision of transforming Stellantis into a sustainable mobility tech company. The site, one of the three most important Stellantis hubs worldwide, covers all stages of automotive production – from design to recycling,” says the company.
Despite the ongoing transformation, the plant faces major challenges in its day-to-day business. In the past, production of the Fiat 500 electric has had to be cut back time and again, partly because components such as batteries were lacking or because of demand. In addition to the electric 500 (as a Fiat and Abarth), the Maserati GranTurismo and the Maserati GranCabrio are also produced there. Stellantis points out that more than 90 per cent of these vehicles are exported, thus improving Italy’s foreign trade balance. However, short-time work has been in place at the plant since 12 February and has now been extended until 20 April.
There have recently been rumours that Stellantis wants to improve capacity utilisation at the Turin plant by building up to 150,000 low-cost electric cars per year from 2026 or 2027 by its Chinese partner Leapmotor, which will then be sold by Stellantis’ European dealers.
There is no mention of this in the press release on the start of eDCT production – rather the opposite. “In parallel to the launch of eDCT production, today’s announcement of an additional €100 million investment serves the ambition to further enhance the attractiveness and affordability of the Fiat 500e to enlarge the customer base, thus enlarging the Mirafiori manufacturing activity,” says Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares. “As demonstrated today, we intend to defend our leadership position in Italy against all competition, including Chinese manufacturers, whatever support they may benefit from in the country.”
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