The Italian automobile manufacturer Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. recently made a huge announcement that it will axe the entirety of its non-electrified vehicles from sale in the United Kingdom.
This decision will enter into effect from July 1, 2022, leaving only the hybrids and fully electric vehicles on the UK portfolio of the brand. More than 60% of Fiat’s lineup was already electrified by 2021, with at least one low-emission variant of each vehicle available to UK consumers. Now this year, the Italian manufacturer has gone a step further by announcing that by July 2022, the whole range would be electrified.
Speaking on this monumental announcement, Greg Taylor, Fiat and Abarth UK Managing Director, said, “This step in Fiat’s history marks a pivotal point in our commitment to providing affordable and sustainable mobility solutions for all of our customers. The move lends itself to our vehicles which are suited to urban areas, spearheaded by the popularity of the New 500.”
Fiat’s electrification journey began with the launch of the 500 Hybrid and Panda Hybrid, which was then followed by the completely electric New 500, and most recently, the new 500X and Tipo Hybrid. With its recent statement that solely electrified cars would be available in the UK starting this summer, Fiat now provides at least one low-emission variant for each model as it takes another step forward on the path of energy transformation and sustainable mobility.
With an 88.3 percent rise in BEV registrations, a 43 percent increase in HEV registrations, and an 18.5 percent increase in MHEV registrations (YTD 2022)*, last year marked the largest yearly growth in electric vehicle registrations. The fully-electric New 500 became the best-selling electric city vehicle in eleven countries and the second best-selling electric car in any sector in Europe, behind only Tesla, with 30 international accolades to date. It is the best-selling electric vehicle in Italy and France, and it ranks second in Germany, Europe’s largest electric vehicle market. It continues its voyage, which began in Europe and now includes stops in Brazil and Japan.
The new Fiat 500 was the company’s first entirely electric vehicle. It offers Level 2 Autonomous Driving, a variety of battery options (24kWh or 42kWH), and a significant driving range of up to 320 km (WLTP). There are also hybrid variants of the second-generation 500 and Panda in the lineup. Both cars come with an all-new electrified 1.0-litre engine to replace their basic 1.2-litre powerplant. The engine is a three-cylinder naturally aspirated engine with a 12-volt belt-integrated starting generator and an 11-amp-hour battery.
Fiat announced the launch of the new 500X and Tipo Hybrid in February 2022, completing the electrification of its lineup. The (RED) variant of the 500X Hybrid is available as a hatchback or cabriolet and offers a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. With the introduction of the 2022 model, the external design of the 500X has also been updated. The front now sports the new ‘500’ logo, while the back sports dynamic ‘FIAT’ writing. These design elements add to the New 500’s appearance and feel.
Keyword: Fiat to discontinue all internal combustion vehicles in UK