Really, Fiat?

Apparently, Fiat is giving it another try in The US, with their EV. The nearest Fiat dealership to my house is now only providing service, as they have taken down the Fiat sign, and have no Fiats (new, or used!) on their lot. I imagine that their dealer network has shrunken all over the US, so I am having a hard time believing that this new effort will be successful, but…

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I agree. They would be better off to badge-engineer this vehicle and sell it as a Dodge or Chrysler. Of course, some (minor) styling changes would be needed, but that is not without precedent.

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And yet thousands and thousands of people will buy them and then will be on here asking someone that owns one, Why does my Fiat (insert problem here)…
And will move to the #3 spot as the worst EV mileage range on the top 10 list… :man_facepalming:

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Compared to the base Model 3 Tesla, it’s slower, more cramped, should have about 55% of the M3 range, and cost more after the tax credit. I can’t imagine why anyone interested in an EV would go for the 500e. It is more comparable to a Nissan Leaf but starts $2000 more. I’m not impressed.

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I wonder why? Does the tax credit favor cars manufactured in America? Or is the 500e actually manufactured in the USA? Is there some other reason it costs more, more middlemen?

As far as i can find it will be assembled in Italy at the same plant that made previous 500’s, one of the requirements for the credit is final assembly in North America,

Fiat is only planning to sell a few thousand a year in the US which would be an improvement since they sold just under 1,000 of the 500X last year. Local dealer has $5,000 on the hood of the 3 2021 Fiat’s they still have in inventory.

An electric 500 makes a lot more sense than an electric F150.

Yes. Look it up on the interweb or read it here:

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It doesn’t just favor US-made cars. The revised tax code eliminated the tax credit for EVs and plug-in hybrids manufactured overseas. Even though that nixed my tax credit, I fully support that revision.

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+1

I’m in favor of manufacturing credits of this type to promote US businesses. Other countries subsidize their manufacturing economies. Should we cede manufacturing to China and others as we have for many other businesses? I think not. Strategic subsidies like this one or the semiconductor subsidies make long term sense, while textile subsidies don’t.

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The electric Fiat 500 is useful in the older cities of the US, and so are electric trucks that Ford sells. When your transportation needs cover less that 100 miles in a typical day, are mostly stop and go, and you need steady availability - no routine maintenance things like oil changes, stopping for fuel, belts, hoses, etc., electric makes sense. The Fiat 500 is super easy to park in short spaces and easy to thread through tight spots and congested areas. For millions of people and small businesses that describes their transportation needs.

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Big +1

I don’t commute anymore and most of my drives are short. In fact, my longest drive is typically to a Tesla Supercharger about 20 miles away. An EV to augment our Odyssey works for me.

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In related news, 1971 Fiat 500 named “Freddie” was recently re-discovered hiding behind a bevy of carboard boxes, only 22k miles on the clock, now being auctioned for $12-15 K.

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And I bet it is a numbers matching car and worth more because of it…

I bet in 50 years from now, nobody will say, cool barn find! I wonder if it has a numbers matching (EV) battery?.. :smirk:

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It’s quite likely my next car will be an EV

One thing I know with 100% certainty . . .

It will NOT be a Fiat EV

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Other articles suggest that only select urban area’s will get the 500e at launch, More of a test run of the market before the other Stelantis brands roll out EV’s.

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Italian shoes? Unlikely but maybe. Italian machinery? Hell NO!

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Maybe an Italian Detective? I’ve been reading one of the Detective Montalbano books, pretty good plots, Car Talk puzzler solvers would likely enjoy. Only problem is some of the terminology requires a tourist knowledge of Italian, which I don’t have, so even more puzzling for me. There’s a tv series too apparently , but I’ve never seen it.

Book Summary: Inspector Salvo Montalbano is in charge of the state police in Sicily and investigates criminal acts which he always manages to solve by reconstruction thanks to his intelligence and the help of his team .

I doubt anyone would live long enough to solve any criminal case in Sicily…

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lol … well, there’s that problem …