In Milan, Italy, FCA presented the all-new, third-generation Fiat 500—which is a battery-electric vehicle. The latest Cinquecento features a 42-kWh lithium-ion battery, which gives the New 500 a range of up to 320 km (199 miles) in the WLTP cycle.

With an output of 87 kW, the new 500 has a maximum speed of 150 km/h (93 mph) (self-limited) and delivers acceleration from 0-62 mph in 9.0 seconds and 0-31 mph in 3.1 seconds.

To optimize charging time, the New 500 is equipped with an 85 kW fast charger system; it takes only 5 minutes to build up a sufficient energy reserve to travel 50 kilometers—more than is needed for average daily use. The fast charger can also charge the battery to 80% in just 35 minutes. The Combo 2 socket located on the rear right side panel of the car powers the fast charger, for both AC and DC charging.

The launch edition of the new 500 includes the Easy Wallbox, a home-charging system that can be connected to a normal home outlet. ENGIE EPS developed this exclusively for FCA, and it will be marketed by Mopar in Europe to coincide with the launch of the model. It is a simple, accessible “plug-and-charge” solution that can be managed easily via Bluetooth, letting you stabilize your energy load by charging your 500 immediately at home with up to 2.3 kW of charging power, with no need for any intervention by skilled personnel.

The Easy Wallbox is ready for a power upgrade to 7.4 kW, providing a full charge at home in just over 6 hours. The model also comes with a Mode 3 cable for charging from the public grid.

The New 500 has three driving modes: Normal, Range and Sherpa, which can be selected to match driving style. Sherpa driving mode works on several components to reduce fuel consumption to a minimum, precisely to ensure that you can reach either the destination set on the navigation system or the nearest charging station comfortably.

Just like a “Himalayan Sherpa”, who is in charge of the whole expedition and guides it to the destination, this driving mode adjusts various parameters: maximum speed, limited to 80 km/h; accelerator response, in order to reduce energy consumption; and deactivation of the climate control system and heated seats (the driver has the option of activating them at any time).

“Normal” mode is as close as possible to driving a vehicle with a normal combustion engine, while “Range” mode activates the “one-pedal-drive” function. By selecting this driving mode, you can practically drive the New 500 with the accelerator pedal alone. Releasing it causes much greater deceleration than with a normal combustion engine, almost as if you had pushed the brake pedal. In any event, you need to push the brake pedal to bring the car to a complete stop. However, in daily use and with more practice, you can eventually learn to drive it using the accelerator pedal only.

The new 500 offers level 2 autonomous driving that includes intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control (iACC) and Lane Centering. Front-facing camera monitoring technology monitors all areas of the car, both longitudinally and laterally. The intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control (iACC) system brakes or accelerates in response to anything: cars, cyclists, pedestrians. Lane Centering keeps the vehicle in the center of the lane when the markings are correctly identified.

Intelligent Speed Assist reads the speed limits and recommends applying them, while Urban Blind Spot uses ultrasonic sensors to monitor the blind spots and warn of any obstacles with a triangular warning light on the wing mirror. Attention Assist provides warnings on the display, recommending that you stop and take a break when you are tired. Finally, the 360° sensors provide a drone view to avoid any obstacles when parking or performing complex maneuvers.

The new Fiat 500 has not been confirmed for the US. FCA is evaluating its potential for the North American market.