Fiat ditches ICE for electrified power

Italian thoroughbred Fiat has committed to electrified powertrains only from July 2022, leading the way for other historic OEMs to follow suit.

As summer begins, customers will be unable to buy a purely ICE-powered Fiat in the UK. The automaker has completely ditched diesel, with petrol hybrids and fully-electric variants the only option for customers moving forward.

Fiat’s line-up looks to dominate urban environments, offering drivers compact and quirky mobility options for city driving.

Moving forward, Fiat’s line-up will be as follows

• 500X Hybrid - A ‘crossover’ built on the Fiat 500 platform. A taller ride height with a bigger cabin, powered by a 1.5L engine that’s paired with a 15kW motor.
• Tipo Hybrid - Fiat’s full-size hatchback. Powered by the same hybrid system as the 500X.
• Panda Hybrid - A rugged and quirky family car powered by a 1.0L 70hp hybrid engine.
• 500 Hybrid - All 500 variants will be offered with a mild hybrid system for those not ready to make the jump to fully electric. Speaking of which…

Lastly of course is the Fiat 500e. Dominating the compact car sector upon its release, its short wheelbase made it the perfect city car - serving as the perfect base platform for electrification. With a ULEZ-dodging eco-friendly battery pack in place of an internal combustion engine, the Fiat 500e is a no-brainer for those living in urban environments.

The new fully-electric Fiat 500 has been designed completely from scratch. Utilising a bespoke electric platform typically makes the end vehicle far more refined - like the Volkswagen ID.3 - making the second generation all-electric 500 even better than the current offering.

Greg Taylor - Fiat & Abarth UK Managing Director spoke on the decision to electrify: “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.”

With an 87kW battery and 199 miles of WLTP range, the Fiat 500e is best in class when it comes mile-munching. But that’s not what it’s built for. The Fiat 500e is emblematic of city car evolution. Small and compact is no longer enough - an electrified drivetrain is paramount for the city car to thrive.

Fiat plans to go completely electric-only by 2030, which means an all-electric Panda is on the horizon - something we can't wait for.