Fiat 500e: A Smaller Battery Keeps the Price Down, but Range Suffers

Fiat isn’t rushing a new generation of the 500e: the current electric model will stay in production until 2030, and as early as 2027 the automaker will try to make it cheaper with a new battery. That matters more to buyers than a cosmetic redesign — the base version currently costs €22,000 (about 1.97 million rubles at current exchange rates), yet offers just 190 km of WLTP range.

The entry-level 500e comes with a 21.3 kWh battery and a 95 hp motor. It accelerates to 100 km/h in 9.5 seconds, with a top speed of 135 km/h. Fast charging is capped at 50 kW, so a 0–80% top-up takes about half an hour. This version is best suited to city driving and regular charging at home.

The 118 hp version gets a 37.3 kWh battery, 326 km of range, and charging up to 85 kW. It’s priced from €26,500 — roughly 2.37 million rubles. The extra cost buys noticeably more freedom, though frequent highway trips will still call for the occasional top-up charge.

Fiat is expected to switch to cheaper LFP cells in 2027, though the chemistry and supplier haven’t been officially confirmed. Such batteries are typically cheaper and hold up better over many charge cycles, but they trail in energy density. Without concrete figures on capacity and weight, there’s no guarantee the updated 500e will keep today’s range.

The next generation won’t arrive until 2030, and will still be built in Turin. Anyone eyeing the current car should wait for the 2027 battery specs: the lower price will only be worthwhile if Fiat doesn’t claw back the savings with reduced capacity or slower charging.