Fiat 500 Electric (2021 – present) | Expert Rating [hide]
Summary
The Fiat 500 Electric is all-new model that will sit alongside and eventually replace the existing Fiat 500 – which has been around since 2007 (albeit with several updates over the years).
The new model is a bit bigger and, as the name suggests, will only be available with electric power. Like previous generations, it is available as both a regular hatchback and as a cabriolet. It landed in the UK in Spring 2021 and the old petrol model will soldier along for possibly a couple more years before being retired.
Media reviews to date have been strongly positive and, as of January 2022, the Fiat 500 Electric has an Expert Rating of 72% based on 26 reviews to date. It’s also one of the cheapest new electric cars on the market, although optional extraas and higher trim levels can drive the prices up subsctantially.
Based on the launch reviews we have gathered to date, the new 500 Electric has been praised for its driving dynamics and interior quality, both of which are significant improvements over the old model. The main criticism is that the car remains cramped for four people and luggage, but then that goes for any car in this class. It’s also worth noting that while the new 500 range will start at a price of £20K, the journos were all driving cars priced close to (and sometimes beyond) £30K with higher performance, more equipment and better battery range.
Key specifications
Body style: Small three-door hatch and cabrioletMotor: electric, battery-poweredPrice: From £22,335 on-road*
*price includes £1,500 government plug-in car grant
Launched: Spring 2021Last updated: N/A
Replacement due: TBA
Image gallery
Fiat 500 Action
Fiat 500 Action
Fiat 500 Action
Fiat 500 La Prima
Fiat 500 Cabriolet
Media reviews
Reviews, road test and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.
Auto Express
Model reviewed: EVScore: 9 / 10“The all-electric Fiat 500 fulfills its city car brief brilliantly, and is one of the best EVs you can buy today.”
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Model reviewed: 42 kWh Convertible IconScore: 8 / 10“The Fiat 500 maintains the old car’s fashion accessory image, but it’s also a small EV with usable range, the latest charging tech and crucially it’s offered at a very tempting price. The less expensive and likely more popular hatchback version could score an extra half star when we try it.”
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Auto Trader
Score: 10 / 10“New all-electric Fiat 500 delivers the classic Italian style in an affordable package brimming with the charisma to take on the Mini Electric and Honda E.”
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Autocar
Model reviewed: ActionScore: 8 / 10“It feels to me like this is the perfect application for an electric car: small, relatively lightweight and usable.”
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Model reviewed: 42 kWh La PrimaScore: 8 / 10“What strikes you most powerfully is that the Fiat 500 is now in a class of its own. The appeal and the impression of quality are now both outstanding.”
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Business Car
Model reviewed: 500e Hatchback La PrimaScore: 7 / 10“The Fiat 500e is light years ahead in terms of powertrain refinement than its forebears, but overall it is still not the most cultured device.”
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Car
Model reviewed: 500 Convertible 42 kWh PassionScore: 8 / 10“Redlining a petrol Fiat 500 through every gear and hearing the chirrup of its tyres on roundabouts as you dodged through city traffic used to be one of the purest and most underrated driving experiences going. Somehow Fiat has translated that eagerness into an electric model.”
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Car Keys
Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“The Fiat 500 seemed like a perfect fit for electric power and, now that a version is finally here, it’s clear to see those initial ideas were on the money.”
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Carbuyer
Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“The Fiat 500 has been reborn with electric power. It’s an even better city car but the price has increased considerably”
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Company Car Today
Model reviewed: Icon 42kWhScore: 8 / 10“A small car with a very decent range, neat styling, competitive pricing and the tax, NI and fueling advantages of EV. Sal-sac in particular will be enticing.”
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Model reviewed: 500 Convertible 42 kWh Passion“The Fiat 500 Electric is a very likeable and good-to-drive little car. It’s not cheap for the version with the more usable range, but the cut-price urban-range model is a handy extra offering.”
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Daily Mail
Model reviewed: 500 Convertible Icon“Bellissimo! In these dark and difficult times it’s great to drive a car that instantly puts a big smile on your face. But the new all-electric Fiat 500 brought me an automotive ray of welcome – if socially-distanced – Mediterranean sunshine and warmth.”
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Daily Mirror
Model reviewed: 42 kWh La PrimaScore: 6 / 10“Owners of the current Fiat 500 who want to go electric but still want a stylish car with plenty of character are not going to be disappointed by this new arrival. In fact, it’s an improvement. What seemed like an eccentric move by Fiat turns out to have been a wise one.”
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Driving Electric
Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 9 / 10“The iconic Fiat 500 city car has gone electric-only in its latest incarnation – and it’s better than its petrol predecessor in every way.”
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Electrifying.com
Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 9 / 10“A fantastic evolution of the 500 that keeps the charm but finally brings the comfort, efficiency and tech you want.”
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Eurekar
“As little electric cars go the 500 makes a fine job of its pollution free role and it comes with three drive modes to enable the driver to get the best out of its performance.”
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Fleetworld
Model reviewed: Electric“There’s substance behind the electric 500’s stylish update, with a useful range and improved driving experience compared to the old car. But that substance comes at a price.”
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Green Car Guide
Model reviewed: Score: 8 / 10“The Fiat 500 Electric is a welcome choice for EV buyers in the city car class, offering a fun driving experience and a decent 199 mile official driving range.”
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Heycar
Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 7 / 10“The Fiat 500 Electric is a modern urban electric car with a retro twist. It combines quirky looks with a fashionable interior but crucially it’s cheaper than the competition.”
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Honest John
Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10Fiat’s electric 500 is a stylish urban runaround – just don’t expect a great deal of refinement once you’ve left the parameters of the city centre.
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Parkers
Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8.4 / 10“The previous Fiat 500 always felt a bit like a case of style over substance. With this impressively well-resolved and modern new 500, Fiat’s given us a generous dose of both sides.”
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The Intercooler
Model reviewed: IconScore: 7 / 10“Of all the small electrics I’ve driven, it is the idea of the Honda e I like the most, but the execution of this FIat. I wish it well. Which, for a modern 500, is a first.”
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The Telegraph
Model reviewed: La PrimaScore: 8 / 10“Cute, charming and surprisingly upmarket, this zero-emissions Fiat 500 city car is the EV that style-conscious urbanites have been waiting for.”
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Top Gear
Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 7 / 10“Fiat’s re-cast 500 is a solid, refined little electric car.”
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What Car?
Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 10 / 10“The new Fiat 500 is great to look at and surprisingly good fun – just don’t expect to carry lots of people and luggage. Go for a version with the larger 42kWh battery for a decent range between charges.”
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Which?
Model reviewed: Convertible“The Fiat 500’s average driving range won’t be a problem for those who don’t venture far out of town, and it will liven up even the most mundane journeys with its nippy performance and agile handling. However, its stingy passenger space and tiny boot, as well as other niggles with visibility and ease of use, mean it falls short of rival small EVs.”
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Safety rating
Overall rating: 4 stars
Date tested: December 2021
76%
ADULT OCCUPANT
80%
CHILD OCCUPANT
67%
VULNERABLE ROAD USERS
67%
SAFETY ASSIST
Read full Euro NCAP review
Eco rating
Model tested:
Date tested: July 2021
10 / 10
CLEAN AIR INDEX
10 / 10
ENERGY EFFICIENCY INDEX
10 / 10
GREENHOUSE GAS INDEX
Read full Green NCAP review
Five stars
The Fiat 500 Electric was awarded a five-star eco rating from Green NCAP in July 2021.
Green NCAP said: “With no pollutant emissions at the tailpipe, this full-electric car gets an unbeatable ten out of ten for the Clean Air Index. Energy efficiency of battery electric cars is very high compared with other types of vehicles and the Fiat gets full points here, too.
“However, the standard charger supplied with the vehicle was slow and inefficient so, in the long term, the customer will pay more for grid electricity than would be the case with a better unit. In Green NCAP’s current assessment, which looks only at tailpipe emissions and takes no account of upstream CO2, the 500 completes its hat-trick with maximum points in the Greenhouse Gas pillar.”
Awards
Trophies, prizes and awards that the Fiat 500 Electric has received
2022
- Southern Group of Motoring Writers Awards – ‘Dark Horse’ of the Year
2021
- Auto Express Awards – Best City Car + Best Small Electic Car for the City
- Electrifying.com Awards – Car of the Year + Best Small Car
- Fleet World Awards – Best EV City Car
- Marie Claire Sustainability Awards – Best Electric Car
- News UK Motoring Awards – Best City Car
- Parkers New Car Awards – Best Small Electric Car
- What Car? Awards – Best Convertible
- What Car? EV Awards – Best Electric Small Car
Similar cars
If you’re looking at the Fiat 500 Electric, you might also be interested in these alternatives
BMW i3 | Honda e | Mini Electric | Peugeot e-208 | Renault Zoe | SEAT Mii Electric | Smart EQ Fortwo | Smart EQ Forfour | Vauxhall Corsa-e | Volkswagen e-Up
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Keyword: Fiat 500 Electric