It’s also nice to use a car with modern amenities like lane guidance and auto braking when it detects a pedestrian. Heck, even having a reversing camera is nice. However, the Fiat 500e constantly warns me about “emergency vehicles” in front on the display (it plays a scarily loud sound, too), but it’s unfortunately wrong 80 percent of the time. Stop giving me a heart attack!
The Old Range-and-Charging Problem
You’re getting a roughy 150-mile range on the Fiat 500e, which is OK for how often I drive. I don’t commute for work, so most of my trips are for leisure. I did drive the 500e more often than I probably would in a normal week, but after four days, I went from 96 to 41 percent after around 53 miles. This poses a problem when I need to make the occasional longer jaunt, like when visiting my in-laws or going on a road trip.
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Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
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Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
I have a house with a parking spot in New York City, which makes me very privileged and lucky to be able to charge from home—however, the charger Fiat includes was just a smidge too short to reach the charging outlet at the back of my house. Regardless, many folks are not going to have a luxury like that and will have to use charging stations. When I tried looking for charging stations near me, almost all were described as “slow.” Thankfully, there was just one marked as “fast.”
But before that, earlier in the week I found myself near WIRED’s Manhattan office, and I figured I’d find a spot to park and charge the car while I sat in the office for two hours. The first parking garage I went to was full, so they turned me away. The second I went to said it’d cost $60 to charge and park for two hours because, in New York City, you’re not paying only for electricity but also real estate. Sixty dollars boosted my battery from 41 to 77 percent. It’s worth noting that I regularly pay around $35 every two weeks to refuel my gas Fiat 500 (and it takes a few minutes).
Finding the right fast-charging station is important. The one near my home that had plenty of spots available (on a Thursday evening), and I watched many EV drivers passing the time in their cars as they charged, watching videos on their phones. I pulled up, plugged the car in, and after roughly 20 minutes I had gained 20 percent, which cost me roughly $4. Now I can get used to that.
I didn’t get to test drive the Fiat 500e on a longer trip, though I imagine I’d have to be a bit more meticulous about making sure there are fast chargers on my route and time it so that a 30-minute recharge could perhaps fall right during a lunch or bathroom break. It’s more involved, and this is arguably the biggest pause I’d have about buying an EV if I frequently make long trips (but I don’t).
Let’s Talk Money
While I was researching a car to buy, I frequently saw the backronym for Fiat: Fix It Again Tony. These cars seem to have earned a poor reputation for reliability and maintenance over the years. I had the 500 I bought inspected, and it was in fair condition, though the previous owner did tell me they had to replace the car’s door handles after they broke off. I have never heard of a car’s door handles just breaking off, but apparently it’s a common problem among Fiats. I can’t say much about the reliability of the Fiat 500e in the US, but I’m hoping it’s improved.
The elephant in the room is the $32,500 starting price (the model I tested starts at $36,000). You have tons of EV options with more room and better range, like the Nissan Leaf, Hyundai Kona Electric, and the Tesla Model 3.
However, if you’re after a small car, there really aren’t many options in the US, save the new Mini Cooper SE, which has a $30,900 starting price. I’m consistently envious watching my UK counterparts enjoying a suite of tiny and affordable electric cars—we need them here, too. (I would totally drive the Microlino.)
The Fiat 500e is too expensive, but we’re starved for choice in the US, especially for small EVs that look great. The Fiat 500e is just that. I’d easily choose to drive it over my gas model; too bad it’s out of my budget. It also doesn’t come in yellow (boo!). If Fiat could solve those two problems, I’d happily open my wallet.