Fiat 500 Electric Review 2024

Fiat's retro city car has been given a 2030-friendly makeover: it's now entirely electric. Or, at least, this one is.

Confusingly, Fiat is continuing to sell the old petrol (or rather mild-hybrid) 500 in the UK. But for buyers who are ready to make the leap to electric, the latest 500 model comes with an electric drivetrain and a choice of two battery sizes: 24kWh and 42kWh.

Intended to rival other cheap electric cars like the Honda E, MINI Electric and Volkswagen e-Up, the Fiat 500 Electric has an official range of 118 miles or 199 miles, depending on which battery pack you opt for.

It's slightly bigger than the petrol Fiat 500, while more space between the front and rear wheels means there's more room inside. Don't expect to use either of them as a family car, the rear seats are very small and only suitable for very small children at best.

There's a range of three core trim levels: Action, Icon and La Prima. Top-spec models come with a swish 10.2-inch navigation system as well as a button-free 'pebble' keyfob and seats made from recycled ocean plastics. There's also a limited edition Red trim, which comes highly equipped with climate control, special edition fabric seats and alloy wheels. 

Interestingly, as well as the standard hatchback model, you can also buy a soft-top Fiat 500 Electric. That's a rarity, matched only by the Smart EQ ForTwo Cabrio.

Looking for a second opinion? Read heycar's Fiat 500 Electric review.

City cars are not known for their class-leading practicality but the Fiat 500 Electric provides ample space for two large adults in the front. The 500 Electric is 56mm wider than the old model. There isn't a gearstick or handbrake lever, either, which means the front seats are wider and more spacious than ever before. 

Despite being 61mm longer than old petrol 500, things are still cramped in the back. But young children should find the rear seats a comfortable fit. You also get a pair of Isofix anchor points for child seats. 

There are storage pockets and trays for odds and ends, like loose change and your mobile phone. There is also the usual scattering of cup and bottle holders. All models get a centre console with a handy storage space but only La Prima models get a lid that will hide your valuables from view. 

The Honda E has one of the smallest boots of any car on sale today, at just 171 litres, but the Fiat 500 Electric isn't far behind. Due to the location of the battery pack under the car floor, you get just 185 litres of boot space in the 500 Electric, which means it'll hold two or three shopping bags or a very squashable backpack. If this is a problem, we'd suggest seeking an EV with more boot space like the Renault Zoe or MINI Electric. 

While the 500 Electric's interior has its fair share of hard plastics, the overall quality of the interior is head and shoulders above the old 500. The seats are wider and more comfortable, too. However, if you want a central armrest and driver's seat height adjustment. you'll need to pay extra for the Comfort Pack or the top-spec La Prima model.

Icon and La Prima models are fitted with Fiat's excellent 10.2-inch touchscreen, which includes navigation and DAB audio. The display is big, bright and really easy to use. It has wireless Apple CarPlay and Andriod Auto on La Prima trim but you will need to plug your phone into the USB socket to mirror your phone's display on the Icon. 

Things are less lavish on the entry-level Action model; you don't get any infotainment as standard. Instead, you get a basic phone cradle and a USB port, which means you can use the maps and audio from your mobile device. A seven-inch touchscreen and DAB audio can be added as an optional extra on Action trim.

All versions of the 500 Electric get a digital instrument display that's shown on a seven-inch TFT screen and both Action and Icon are fitted with four speakers as standard. La Prima trim upgrades the audio system with a six-speaker set-up. 

Prices for the Fiat 500 Electric start at £23,835 for the Action model before you deduct the Government's plug-in vehicle grant. That's impressive for a new electric car but it's important to note that the Action trim misses out on most of the fancy touchscreen technology. It also uses a smaller 24kWh battery with a 118-mile maximum range.

The higher-spec Icon model is priced from £28,835 and features 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, automatic windscreen wipers and a 10.2-inch infotainment system with touchscreen navigation. You also get 50/50 split-folding rear seats and a wearable key. Icon models will also travel up to 199 miles with the 42kWh battery.

La Prima trim adds 17-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic sunroof, a wireless phone charging pad, height adjustment for the driver's seats and a centre armrest. You also get a parking camera, 360-degree sensors and LED headlights. 

The 500 Electric is available with two batteries - a 24kWh unit that develops 93PS and a 42kWh battery that produces 118PS. 

A full charge at 11kW will take two hours and 30 minutes for the 24kWh battery and four hours and 15 minutes for the 42kWh battery. A 50/85kW charger will add up to 80 per cent of the battery charge in around 30 minutes. 

Depending on what your home energy tariff is, you'll be looking at £7 for a full battery charge from a home wallbox for the 42kWh battery or £5 for the 24kWh unit, based on an electricity tariff of 17.2p/kWh.

Electric car drivers do not pay any road tax in the UK, which means you pay nothing for the annual VED. EVs are also exempt from pollution charging zones like the London ULEZ. 

As with all Fiat models, the 500 Electric is covered by a three-year manufacturer warranty. The battery is also backed by an eight-year warranty. 

The Fiat 500 Electric isn't built for performance and this is reflected in its soft and spongy set-up. The suspension is really good for soaking up speed bumps and potholes, which means the 500 is a very comfortable car to drive. The light steering also makes it easy to park or navigate small spaces, too.

The overpowered steering does make it difficult to establish a meaningful connection with the front wheels on the open road, but the 500 Electric is very easy to drive and extremely predictable in its handling. The soft suspension will produce a fair level of body roll in the corners but we doubt many people will be using their 500s for high-speed cornering. 

The electric motor is mounted in the front and available with 93 or 118PS, both versions will whirr from 0-62mph in 9.0 seconds. Our test car was fitted with the 188PS unit and it provides smooth and rewarding acceleration around town, hitting 31mph from a standstill in 3.1 seconds. 

You get three driving modes - Normal, Range and Sherpa - which makes it easy to manage the battery charge and energy usage. If the battery starts to get low then you activate the ‘Sherpa’ mode to find the nearest charger or manage the car’s resources until you get home.

As with many EVs, the 500 Electric has a regenerative braking function that recoups the energy you would normally lose when braking or slowing down. This energy is then used to top up the battery. In reality, this means the car will automatically slow down when you lift your foot off the throttle and allow you to drive the 500 Electric with a single pedal. It takes a bit of getting used to but it quickly becomes second nature and is a very relaxing way to drive.

The Fiat 500 Electric has a four star Euro NCAP safety rating. The 500 received 76 and 80 per cent ratings for respective adult and child protection but was marked down for pedestrian and safety assistance with both getting just 67 per cent.   

Basic versions of the 500 are fitted with lane guidance assistance, driver drowsiness detection and automatic city emergency braking. But you'll need to pay extra for the Fiat Co-Driver system, which includes adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist, 360-degree parking sensors and blind spot monitoring.

The Fiat 500 Electric cannot be fitted with a tow bar and doesn't have a braked towing rating, which means it isn't suitable for any type of towing activity. 

The Fiat 500 Electric range starts with the Action trim level that includes 15-inch steel wheels, rear parking sensors,  smartphone cradle, automatic halogen headlights, LED daytime running lights, LED tail lights, air conditioning, keyless start, attention assist (drowsiness detection), lane keeping assist, traffic sign recognition and  4-way manually adjustable driver’s seat. 

Icon adds 16-inch alloy wheels, 10.2-inch touchscreen infotainment with navigation and DAB audio, wireless CarPlay/Android Auto, eco-leather steering wheel with audio controls, traffic sign information, automatic windscreen wipers, cruise control, wearable key and 50/50 split folding rear seats.

La Prima is the highest spec for the 500 Electric and adds 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights with auto high/low beam, wireless mobile charging, fixed panoramic sunroof, eco-leather seats, front armrest, blind spot warning, Fiat Co-Driver, rear view parking camera and six-way driver’s seat with height adjustment.