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| Fiat 500e all-electric shown, the new Fiat 500 Ibrida is expected to have a similar look. It is likely the new hybrid model will have different radiator / grille intake treatment, along with a different rear valance for an engine exhaust pipe. |
Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis, announced during a meeting held on May 27, 2024, between the company and Italian Unions that Fiat will make a hybrid gas-electric version of the new Fiat 500e. This is welcome news to the thousands of Fiat 500 fans who were shut out from buying the all-electric car because it didn't fit their transportation needs.
In collaboration with the Italian Government, Fiat has set a target of producing one million vehicles in Italy by 2030. In 2023, Italy produced 880,085 units, a ten percent increase from the previous year's total. Adding a hybrid option to the 500, Fiat's best-selling car, is essential to meeting these ambitious production goals.
The new all-electric Fiat 500e was introduced in 2020 and originally was intended only to be offered as an all-electric car. However, the capability to add a gas engine was also built in just in case of market demand. Well, it looks like that was a good move on Fiat's part because of EV market uncertainty, increased competition and the need to meet production goals to keep factories up and running.
Besides the new all-electric Fiat 500e, Fiat sells the older generation 500 with a hybrid gas/electric powertrain. This older platform was released in 2007, updated in 2014, and then made into a hybrid model in 2020. Considered a Mild Hybrid, this 500 model combines the latest 3-cylinder FireFly 1 liter 70 HP (51,5 kW) engine with a 12-volt BSG (Belt-integrated Starter Generator) electric motor and a lithium battery.
Details on the Fiat 500 Hybrid System
The new hybrid model will be called the Fiat 500 Ibrida (Ibrida is the Italian word for Hybrid). Preliminary details indicate the car is expected to use the same 70hp Mild Hybrid type powertrain as the previous generation 500 and Panda models.
Performance estimates using the same 70hp Mild-Hybrid powertrain as last year's 500 are 0-62mph in 14 seconds (about two-tenths of a second slower than the previous car) and a maximum speed of just under 106mph.
Rumors in Italy suggest that the Fiat 500 Ibrida will have a base price of 18,500 Euros, or about 800 Euros more than the outgoing model. For comparison, the fully electric Fiat 500e starts at 29,500 Euros.
The new Fiat 500 hybrid is expected to join the Fiat 500e sometime between late 2025 and early 2026. The hybrid 500 will be manufactured alongside the all-electric 500e at Fiat's Mirafiore plant in Turin, Italy.
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Source and images: Stellantis Media
