return to engine heat?

The latest generation 500 is electric only. But facing weak sales, Fiat can insert a hot engine under its hood!

We’ve already seen hot models being converted into electric cars. A reverse operation seems unthinkable, at least on a large scale. However, this is the idea that Fiat has in mind at the moment.

According to information from the Italian newspaper The Corriere della Sera, the manufacturer is considering converting the 500e into a hot model. Gasoline would not replace electricity, but it would complete the range. Our colleagues indicate that suppliers have been investigated for their ability to supply multiple parts, with the possibility of producing up to 175,000 vehicles per year with the dual energy mix.

As a reminder, in 2020, Fiat launched a completely new generation of 500, but only electric. So he put the old car on the list, which has a small hybrid gasoline unit. Although the 500e had a good start to its career, sales declined. Result: The Mirafiori factory is frequently stopped to sell stock.

If the car was finally available as a petrol car, perhaps with a smaller mixture, this would be good news for the factory workers, and production would improve. While Fiat planned to produce 100,000 copies of the 500e each year, it could be half that many this year.

For Fiat, there will be another interest: to deal with the discontinuation of the old 500. In fact, it will not be replaced by European regulations that will impose the presence of more safety equipment on cars sold in the Union from July 2024. Old. 500 will therefore be removed from the catalog, even if the manufacturer hopes to replenish the stock early to make it last a little longer.

Converting the 500e into a new 500 hybrid would make it possible to maintain a more affordable version when sales of electric cars have not yet reached the expected levels in Europe.

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