Fiat to offer built-in charging cables from next year

As reported by British Autocar, the Stellantis brand is looking to make plugging in at the AC charger more user-friendly. No more getting the cable from the truck or frunk and possibly putting back a dirty charging cable after it has been dragged through the mud on a rainy day.

“You have these fantastic cars – full of technology, great materials, nice trims – and the first thing you do is you put the cable on the ground, and it’s dirty and you throw it back in your trunk,” Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares is quoted as saying. “That’s not very high technology. If you look at vacuum cleaners, they found a better solution.”

The sprung cable would be mounted to the front of the vehicle, as can be seen in a video posted on social media. It stows away neatly behind the Fiat logo. The cable appears long enough so that drivers can reach the charger even if it is not located directly in front of the vehicle but on the side, for instance. The EV would then have a second charging inlet for DC charging, as the cable on the front does not comply with charging requirements.

The first Fiat to be fitted with the solution will be the Grande Panda Electric. But not until next year. If one looks closely, the compartment for the cable can already be seen in the press images published in July. The carmaker says that all of its next-generation EVs will come with the AC cable attached.

autocar.co.uk, instagram.com (Video)