The Fiat 500e Electric (Cabrio): The Complete Electric Car Buying Guide For India

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Electric Cars: The Basics

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For those of you new to zero-emission electric driving, we recommend a read of the following articles:

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The Fiat 500e Electric Convertible

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Fiat Automobile S.p.A. is a subsidiary the Netherlands based Stellantis N.V., which was formed by the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (Italian/ American) and Groupe PSA (French). You may not be familiar with these names, but the automotive brands in the portfolio would be well known to most consumers. These include: Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Jeep, Vauxhall, Alfa Romeo etc.

Fiat continues to remain the largest automotive manufacturer in Italy, but also has manufacturing locations globally, with Brazil as the largest international production site. Fiat Automobiles has been recognised in Europe for the lower emission footprint of its vehicles and has been ranked as the lowest level of CO2 emissions by vehicles sold in Europe. The all-electric Fiat 500 has led the transition for the Italian manufacturer to zero-emission electric driving. The company currently has the following portfolio of electric vehicles (EVs):

• All-electric Fiat 500e Hatchback (BEV)
• All-electric Fiat 500e Cabrio (BEV)
• All-electric Fiat 600e (BEV)

The Fiat 500 electric car has its roots in the classic 1957 Fiat 500, a car that has been hugely successful and iconic (sold more than 2 million cars globally). The Fiat New 500 EV is bigger than the internal combustion engine (ICE) car: 6 cm in width and length, 22mm longer wheelbase.

The Fiat EV is available as a hatchback and convertible. For those keen on style, an infinite headroom and a keenness to make the most of the sunshine, the convertible is better suited! Of course, the convertible is priced higher than the hatchback.

The Fiat convertible electric car is available in one EV battery size: 42 kWh with a claimed zero-emission electric range up to 320 km (WLTP). Of course, the real-world electric range will be lower, impacted by a number of factors, to include: driving profile, weather conditions, passenger load, tyre size, onboard services used etc. Expect a real-world e-range closer to 280 km. More than suitable for the majority of driving needs. The EV has a Sherpa mode that saves energy by optimising battery charge, air conditioning, speed and acceleration.

The Fiat electric car offers DC charging capability up to 85 kW DC (0%-80%: 35 mins). Put another way, in a mere 5 minutes, up to 50 km range can be achieved. The EV incorporates a 11 kW AC (3-phase) onboard charger as standard.

For those with access to three-phase charging at home or the workplace, the 42 kWh EV battery can be fully charged in 4 hours and 15 minutes. Do keep in mind that most homes in India are powered by a single-phase power supply (7.4 kW), resulting in longer charging times.

Though the Fiat pure electric car can be charged via a domestic 3-PIN socket, we at e-zoomed discourage the use of a domestic socket to charge an electric car. It would take up to 15 hours and 15 minutes to charge the 42 kWh battery. We encourage charging an electric car using a dedicated EV home charging station like easee.

The Fiat electric car does not disappoint in terms of its exterior iconic appeal and its interior is just as appealing. The electric convertible includes a host of features: intelligent adaptive cruise control, urban blind spot, drone view (360° parking sensors), rear view parking camera, autonomous emergency braking, traffic sign recognition and speed advisor, attention assist, lane keep assist, emergency call and more. The EV also offers a 10.25″ infotainment display and compatibility with Apple Car Play and Android Auto.

In terms of practicality, for urban driving, its compact size and turning circle are certainly useful. However, the rear seats are a tight squeeze and the boot space limited to 185 L. Given the fabric roof, expect more noise in the cabin, compared to the hatchback body style.

Despite the additional weight of the EV battery(294.3 kg), the front-wheel drive Fiat 500 e can achieve 0-100 km/h in 9 seconds. The maximum power is up to 118 hp (220 Nm) and a 150 km/h top speed. The EV offers One Pedal driving: with just one pedal you can accelerate and decelerate, recovering kinetic energy to recharge the EV battery. Bottom-line, electric driving is good for the environment and the wallet! The Fiat 500 e convertible is not available in India.

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PROS	CONS
DC charging up to 85 kW	Rear seats with limited legroom
Good electric range	More expensive compared to the hatchback
11 kW onboard charger as standard	Small boot space (185 L)

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The All-Electric Fiat 500 Convertible (credit: Fiat)

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At A Glance
EV Type:	Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV)
Body Type:	Cabrio (convertible)
Engine:	Electric
Available In India:	No

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Trims (1 Option)
Fiat 500e (from ₹ N/A)

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EV Battery & Emissions
EV Battery Type:	Lithium-ion
EV Battery Capacity:	Available in one size: 42 kWh
Charging:	85 kW DC Fast Charging (0%-80%: 35 mins). 11 kW AC onboard charger (0%-100%: 4 hrs 15 mins)
Charge Port:	Type 2
EV Cable Type:	Type 2
Tailpipe Emissions:	0g (CO2/km)
Battery Warranty:	8 years or 160,000 km

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Charging Times (Overview)
Slow charging AC (3 kW – 3.6 kW):	6 – 12 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SOC)
Fast charging AC (7 kW – 22 kW):	3 – 8 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Rapid charging AC (43 kW):	0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Rapid charging DC (50 kW+):	0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Ultra rapid charging DC (150 kW+):	0-80% : 20 mins to 40 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Tesla Supercharger (120 kW – 250 kW):	0-80%: up to 25 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)

• Note 1: SoC: state of charge

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Dimensions
Height (mm):	1527
Width (mm):	1900
Length (mm):	3632
Wheelbase (mm):	2322
Turning Circle (m):	9.3
Boot Space (L):	185

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Model: 87 KW 118HP
EV Battery Capacity:	42 kWh
Pure Electric Range (WLTP):	320 km
Electric Consumption (kWh/100km):	14.4
Charging:	85 kW DC Fast Charging (0%-80%: 35 mins). 11 kW AC onboard charger (0%-100%: 4 hrs 15 mins)
Top Speed:	150 km/h
0-100 km/h:	9 seconds
Drive:	Front-wheel drive (FWD)
Electric Motor (kW):	87
Max Power (hp):	118
Torque (Nm):	220
Transmission:	Automatic
Seats:	4
Doors:	3
Kerb Weight (kg):	1405
Colours:	8
NCAP Safety Rating:	Four-Star

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Electric Vehicles (EVs): Top Jargons

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Despite the increased visibility of EVs in India, the vocabulary (jargon) used in electric driving is still new to consumers. In fact, for many, it can seem daunting and confusing. We have therefore put below some of the more commonly used terms in the EV glossary, to give you an easier introduction to electric driving in India!

Glossary: Electric Vehicles (EVs)
Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV):	What is a BEV? A battery-electric vehicle (BEV) is more commonly referred to as a pure electric car. A BEV is ‘pure’, in that, the vehicle only uses electric power for propulsion i.e. a BEV does not have an internal combustion engine (ICE). It is easy to recognise these zero-tailpipe emission green cars, as these vehicles are silent (except for the artificial noise), and do not have a tailpipe!
Frunk:	What is a frunk? Though a frunk is not a new term, its availability is becoming more widespread with the development of electric vehicles (EVs). A frunk is a storage space/ compartment/ trunk in the front of a vehicle, rather than the rear. In the case of pure electric cars, given that these vehicles do not have an onboard internal combustion engine (ICE), there is space for a frunk. It is worth noting that a frunk is usually much smaller than a trunk, and in EVs, a good space for storing the EV cable.
Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicles (MHEVs):	What is a MHEV? Mild hybrids use both an internal combustion engine (ICE) and an electric motor. These cars are also known as ‘self-charging hybrids’. The vehicle uses regenerative braking (recuperated electric energy) to improve the fuel efficiency and to reduce tailpipe emissions (CO2 g/km). However, mild hybrids cannot be charged by an external power source, like an EV charger.
Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV):	What is a PHEV? Like a MHEV, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) aims to increase the fuel efficiency and reduce tailpipe emissions. However there is much difference between a PHEV and a MHEV. A PHEV has a more powerful electric motor and a larger onboard EV battery. In a PHEV, the electric motor and onboard EV battery are also used to propel the electric vehicle. Moreover, a PHEV battery is charged by using an external power source, like a dedicated EV charger.
Regenerative Braking:	What is regenerative braking? Also known as regen braking or brake recuperation, regenerative braking is a process of capturing the wasted energy (during braking) from an electric vehicle, to be reused (recycled). In the case of electric driving, the ‘captured’ energy is reused to increase the pure electric range of the EV.

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While e-zoomed uses reasonable efforts to provide accurate and up-to-date information, some of the information provided is gathered from third parties and has not been independently verified by e-zoomed. While the information from the third party sources is believed to be reliable, no warranty, express or implied, is made by e-zoomed regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information. This disclaimer applies to both isolated and aggregate uses of this information.

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