Italian automakers are doing their best to bust out of the boring just another SUV EV mold.

This week on EV Rider we’re taking a video look at the Italian EVs that were on display at the 2025 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.

Could The Fiat Topolino Be Coming To A Beach Town Near You?

Let’s start with the most unconventional car and that’s the Fiat Topolino. Here in the states it’s best described as a LSV – or low speed vehicle.

The best direct comparison is golf carts, which have gotten quite popular in beach towns and master planned communities as a second or third vehicle.

A spokeswoman told me Fiat is seriously considering importing the Topolino in the U.S.

It’s hard to know what it would cost, especially with the trade war instigated by the Trump administration, but she told me the target is $10,000, while in Europe it’s expected to be available at a price equivalent to under $12,000.

Given new golf carts can easily top $14,000 if Fiat could import it for $12,000 or less, it could be an attractive new option, although with the trade war, who knows.

The Topolino goes approximately 46 miles on a charge, which given it’s meant to be only a neighborhood runabout is perfectly fine.

It has a top speed of about 28 miles per hour, which also works here in the U.S. where the speed limit for golf carts and other LSVs is 25 miles per hour.

Perhaps the Topolino’s most delightful aspect is its style, which harkens back to the old Fiat 500 Jollys. They were beach-buggy styled cars designed by Ghia that were popular in the 1950s and 1960s at some seaside resorts. You’ll find a few video clips of those in the video at the top of this post.

Fiat Finally Sells Second Generation 500e In U.S.

Next, is Fiat’s latest U.S. entry, the 500e; which recently returned to the states as one of the most affordable EVs currently on sale. It was originally introduced in Europe in 2020 as the model line’s second generation EV.

Now that MINI has stopped importing the Cooper SE EV to the U.S., Fiat has the subcompact EV car market to itself for the moment.

At the time of this posting, Fiat was offering a lease deal on the 500e for as little as $156 a month for 2-years with $2,000 due at signing. MSRP starts at $32,500

That gets you a nice urban car with Apple Car Play, Android Auto, classic 500 styling and handling. It’s achilles heel is range, which is rated at 149 miles per charge from its 42 kWh battery. It has a peak DC charging speed of 85 kW, which adds 31 miles in 5 minutes. It takes 35 minutes to reach 80% of charge.

Next up is Masarati’s 2025 GranTurismo Folgore coupe and convertible. The coupe starts at $192,000 while the cabrio is based priced at $205,000.

Since I didn’t get a chance to spend any time with the Masaratis, we’ll leave the details for another episode at some point down the road, but they are certainly stylish rides. For more on the Fiats, see the video at the top of this post and visit the the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance section page for more coverage from The Amelia.

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12/6 UPDATE: Since this story was originally written, Fiat has announced full details on the 500e’s return to the U.S. The American-version of the 500e will feature a single front motor generating 118 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque, coupled with a 42-kWh battery pack. It has an estimated U.S. range of 149 miles on a single charge. It has a DC fast charge peak of 85 kW, which results into reaching 80% of charge in 35 minutes, according to Fiat.

Fiat will start selling the U.S. 500e in the first quarter of 2024. At launch it will be available in just one trim: the 500e RED hardtop, a special edition created in collaboration with the RED charity, dedicated to combating AIDS. A portion of the purchase price will support the charity, aligning with RED’s fundraising model.

The base price will be $34,095. Additional details are available below and at Fiat’s USA website.

ORIGINAL POST: Fiat is bringing its next-generation 500e EV to the U.S. in 2024 and the timing might just prove to be pretty good since its two primary U.S. competitors are likely to both give Fiat an opening.

Starting with MINI, 2024 is scheduled to be the final model year for this current generation Cooper SE EV.

That’s not the only prime Fiat 500e competitor that is on the way out. The timing might be perfect for Fiat since production of the current-generation Chevrolet Bolt is scheduled to wrap up production at the end of 2023.

Post your 2024 Fiat 500e questions or comments here.

It’s currently looking unlikely that the next-generation MINI Cooper EV will be immediately imported to the U.S. 

The first of the next generation Mini Cooper SE EVs will be built in China. Due to an already high 25% trade tariff the next-generation Cooper 2-door hatchback EV may be delayed here in the states. On top of that a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers want President Joe Biden to hike tariffs on Chinese-made vehicles, according to Reuters.

For the short-term, the current generation Cooper SE EV made in Oxford, England is still available in the U.S. 

Longer-term, MINI plans to convert its Oxford plant to 100% EV production, according to the Associated Press. However, it might take until 2026 or 2027 until that plant is re-tooled to produce the next-gen Cooper EV 2-door hatchback. 

Add to that, GM hasn’t unveiled the next generation Bolt yet and you can see how Fiat has a window of opportunity. 

Fiat has committed to bringing its 500 to the states in “early 2024.”  

The big question is what will pricing be? No announcement has been made at the time of this post’s publication but Car and Driver speculates the base-model 500 EV might start as low as $30,000 with the Sport model running around $40,000. Motor Trend isn’t as optimistic, speculating a base price will be in the high-$30s for a base model. 

The 500 EV isn’t expected to qualify for the EV tax credit since it isn’t assembled in North America. With all that said, the 500e is still looking like a EV strong contender for those that love small hatchbacks, especially given the relative lack of competition in the U.S.

The U.S.-spec 500e is likely to use the 117-horsepower motor from the European EV and come with a 42  kWh battery pack. EPA range estimates haven’t been announced but a good guess is about 150 miles or so per charge. 

The design stays true to historic 500s but brings along a bright 10.2-inch widescreen display that includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on the European version. 

U.S. Trims haven’t been announced so we can’t say whether the cabrio edition will make it to the states. At the time of this post’s publication Fiat’s USA website was still showing European versions of the hardtop. 

But regardless, if Fiat can manage to return with a price tag that matches or undercuts the current-generation MINI Cooper SE EV, the 500 just might have a chance to regain a foothold in America. 

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