Petrol engine to the rescue?

Fiat suspends production of the 500e for weeks!

(Bild: Stephan Schätzl)

Things are looking bleak for the likeable little electric car: production of the Fiat 500e has been suspended for four weeks, as the manufacturer has confirmed. The reason: demand is lagging behind expectations.

Fiat is not the only manufacturer struggling with falling demand for electric cars. Stellantis confirms this in a statement: "The measure is necessary due to the current lack of orders, which is due to the considerable difficulties in the European market for electric vehicles."

At the same time, Austria is raving about rising sales figures and a 42 percent market share in the "A-segment electric", i.e. electrically powered small cars. But now it even seems questionable whether the real Italian will continue to be built in the historic Mirafiori complex in Turin in the long term.

Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares says: "Stellantis only produces where we are economically competitive," and this does not exactly go down well with the Italian government either. Stellantis had already sent 2250 employees on short-time working for three weeks in the spring, also because of the 500e, but Maserati was also affected.

How to make the Fiat 500 more successful
Apparently, the multi-brand company is also looking for internal solutions to put the Fiat 500 on the road to success. There is talk of a more powerful battery to increase the range. Fiat has also confirmed that the Fiat 500e will be accompanied by a version with a (mild hybrid) combustion engine. The company is still keeping quiet about when this will happen.

When asked, they say that they are currently concentrating on the Fiat Grande Panda, which is due to roll into dealerships in Austria from the beginning of the year. They are also focusing on the Fiat Topolino, which celebrated its Austrian premiere at the Vienna Electric Days and is expected to arrive at dealerships at the beginning of the year.