All-new 2013 Fiat 500e Recharges the Electric Vehicle (EV) Segment with Italian Style and Performance

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- 

• All-new 2013 Fiat 500e electrifies the Cinquecento lineup with even more innovation and style, plus up to an estimated 116 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) city and 100 MPGe highway of pure battery-electric power and zero tailpipe emissions
• Fiat 500e is designed to keep electric vehicle (EV) ownership simple with its familiar no-nonsense design, convenience features and intelligently integrated approach to battery-electric technology
• More than 80 miles of estimated range, with city driving range typically greater than 100 miles
• World-class handling and braking for an EV that adds to the FIAT brand's lineup of vehicles with highly engaging driving dynamics
• Arriving in the second quarter of 2013 to FIAT Studios in California

Designing city-friendly, environmentally responsible and fun-to-drive small cars is what the FIAT brand and its "Simply More" belief stand for. The all-new 2013 Fiat 500e electrifies the next chapter of the brand's legacy by embodying the FIAT brand's simple, purposeful and fun-to-drive values – through iconic style, engaging dynamics and an environmentally responsible zero-emissions design.

"The Fiat 500e changes the paradigm in an electric vehicle market that's quickly becoming crowded," said Tim Kuniskis, Head of FIAT Brand North America. "The Fiat 500e offers iconic Italian design and a great combination of performance and range, with battery technology that delivers consistent performance across all weather conditions."

Designed to be a no-compromise electric vehicle (EV), the 2013 Fiat 500e builds on the Cinquecento's successful small-car formula, while adding an all-new battery-electric powertrain that produces 111 horsepower (83 kW), recharges in less than 4 hours with its Level 2 (240 volt) on-board charging module (OBCM) and delivers more than 80 miles of estimated range, with city driving range typically exceeding 100 miles without any tailpipe emissions.

Making sure the all-new 2013 Fiat 500e delivers world-class EV handling and braking performance, engineers designed a new chassis and suspension for the new EV powertrain, while further solidifying the engaging European driving dynamics the FIAT brand and Cinquecento are known for.

The all-new Fiat 500e pushes its iconic Italian design forward with its wind-tunnel-sculpted shape and retro-futuristic dot-matrix styled cues for a cutting-edge look. To achieve a 13 percent improvement in aerodynamics (0.311 coefficient of drag (Cd) compared to the 2013 Fiat 500 Lounge's 0.359 Cd), the Fiat 500e features eight exterior enhancements and more than 140 hours of wind tunnel testing and refinement. The result is a purposeful design that enables this Cinquecento to achieve an additional five miles of range.

Inside, 2013 Fiat 500e fuses retro-futuristic design with unique EV technology elements for an environment comprised of simplicity with innovation. An all-new 7-inch thin-film transistor (TFT) instrument cluster displays full-color picture graphics to illustrate vehicle functions, charge levels and trip summary. In addition, a new TomTom Navigation unit enables the driver to view the vehicle's charge schedule, range, and power-flow gauges, and can even request nearby charging stations with real-time availability. Below its instrument panel bezel, the 2013 Fiat 500e also includes an all-new electronic shifter with easy-to-use push-button transmission mode selection. For added style, the interior environment is available in Nero (black) or exclusive Steam (white), highlighted by Electric Orange to bring even more design character to this Cinquecento.

Keeping passengers of the Fiat 500e connected to vehicle information is an all-new Fiat 500e Smartphone App (compatible with iPhone and Android) that enables real-time vehicle status, manages charging, tracks the driver's energy use, locates the vehicle and nearby charging stations, plans and sends routes to the vehicle and provides text-message alerts.

The all-new 2013 Fiat 500e arrives at FIAT Studios in California during the second quarter of 2013.

SOURCE Chrysler Group LLC