The wife’s little electric commuter. New Fiat 500E

[evolution380]

My wife started a new job which meant she would hand her company car back. 20 mile each way mainly town driving with free charging points at work steered her down the electric route for her work commuter.

She decided on a Fiat 500E Icon in matte grey with a few extras.

I was on the fence but actually grown quite fond of it. it’s been averaging 160 miles to a full charge (advertised 180) however she has got that up to around 170 now she’s got used to the regenerative braking system.

It’s an absolute hoot to drive just a nippy little go kart and due to the regen braking you can drive it 95% of the time accelerator only. The battery also gets the COG nice and low.

[croyde]

I like the colour.

So is the braking like a bumper car, lift off the pedal and it stops, lift off slowly and it slows down?

[RC1807]

Oh, buy your Mrs some jeans without holes in, eh.... Poor thing




(I like the 500E, BTW)

[Macron]

RC1807 said:

Oh, buy your Mrs some jeans without holes in, eh.... Poor thing

Then how would she get her legs in?

[spikeyhead]

RC1807 said:

Oh, buy your Mrs some jeans without holes in, eh.... Poor thing




(I like the 500E, BTW)

Perhaps those are the OPs legs #didyoujustassumegender!

[23.7]

I like it, better than a honking great SUV.

[andy43]

In! We’re aiming to test drive one of these soon. Really like the look of them and the reviews I’ve seen suggest the quality and feel is pretty impressive.
Can I ask - does that glass roof panel tilt and/or slide?

[swanseaboydan]

That looks really cool - does it accelerate well ?

[mids]

Like the look of that, especially in that spec.

I have a little e-up on order, due next month as a commuter car. I quite fancied one of these 500E's but they were more expensive than I thought they would be and it was too large a difference in price for a 2 year lease (£7k compared to £4.5k for the VW).

[monthou]

That looks great.
So much so that I checked the price. £26K? eek.

[lastofthev8s]

Nice looking car and looks to be ideal for the usage / free work charging.

[evolution380]

croyde said:

I like the colour.

So is the braking like a bumper car, lift off the pedal and it stops, lift off slowly and it slows down?

Yes 3 modes

Normal - No regen braking
Range - Regen braking as you say like a bu per car
Sherpa - Limits a lot of functions to max range.

andy43 said:

In! We’re aiming to test drive one of these soon. Really like the look of them and the reviews I’ve seen suggest the quality and feel is pretty impressive.
Can I ask - does that glass roof panel tilt and/or slide?

Unfortunately not it’s fixed I’d have to dig out the book but believe it was a circa £700 option.

monthou said:

That looks great.
So much so that I checked the price. £26K? eek.

£31k including the extras on this Icon model minus government grant. My wife didn’t want a cabriolet which is the high spec 500E so we went with the highest spec non cab which is the Icon with a few extras to bring it pretty much up to cab spec.

[centralscot]

The la prima is the highest spec, we have one as a work runaround .

[evolution380]

centralscot said:

The la prima is the highest spec, we have one as a work runaround .

Ah so it is, I thought it was only available in Cab! Fortunately the Icon in stock had a few extras which ticked all the boxes she was after.

[Lester H]

Just read the Autocar review. Mainly positive, but around £31000 .Are they taking the proverbial?

[drmike37]

Is that the 24 or the 42KWH?
These look more interesting than the Corsa.
I'm in the market, but need a cast iron reliable 100mile range in winter temps with the heater and stereo going. Also, is there room in the back for grown ups?

[Mr Tidy]

The 500s are great little cars!

My sister wanted one last year when her Mini Cooper died but it had to be a twin-air because it sounded like the original Nuova from the 50s/60s, and it is a real hoot to drive. Added nostalgia factors may have been that our Mum had a 600 when my sister passed her test and Dad had a Topolino during WW2.

Sadly an "E" wouldn't have worked for her though as she is retired and couldn't charge at home - plus it's a triple rather than a twin!

[s55shh]

you didn't fancy a red one with three black seats and one bright red one?

[5harp3y]

£31k is bonkers!

[tvrfan007]

5harp3y said:

£31k is bonkers!

It is, but it's the standard electric tax. Anything electric has massive premium loaded onto it. Cynic in me says it's to gather up front a lifetime of saved servicing costs, but they will claim its development cost recouping... A gap that will conveniently not close before the fossil fuel versions are withdrawn. They will sell it to you based on lower running costs ofc.