Fiat is rushing ahead with the debut of a retro-styled subcompact electric vehicle. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has been testing electric Fiat 500 prototypes in California, ahead of the reveal of the new battery-electric model at the 2020 Geneva auto show.
This month the automaker announced its largest investment to date in electric cars, committing €5 billion ($5.57 billion) through 2021 at its Mirafiori plant in Turin. Part of that modernization budget will include a new assembly line that will produce up to 80,000 units of the electric 500, which will enter production in the second quarter of 2020.
“This car was entirely conceived, designed and engineered here. It is a genuine product of ‘Made at Fiat’ and ‘Made in Turin’ ingenuity,” said Pietro Gorlier, COO for FCA’s Europe, Middle East and Africa region. “It is another excellent example of the ability to create and innovate, which abounds in our company and in this city. In Turin, we are developing a new electric mobility center of excellence, which currently employs 260 people. The new Fiat 500 electric represents just the first phase of our investment plan for Mirafiori. This project will be followed by renewal of the Maserati range, starting with the Levante, and the addition of other models as projected in our business plan.”
The electric 500, which has yet to receive a formal name, was previewed this year in Geneva by the Centoventi concept, showing off a boxier body and a customizable interior. Fiat has not said whether the new electric model will be sold in North America.
