10 of the coolest Fiat 500e Features

The Fiat 500 needs no introduction. A classic car, reimagined – with several nods to its roots, but with modern creature comforts. Their first electric version, the 500e was released in 2013 – but it was a bit of a cheat. It was only available in California and Oregon to comply with State regulations.

The 2020 Fiat 500e however, was a fully-fledged, mass-produced electric car – winning several accolades including What Car’s Best Small Electric Car for the City in 2021 and in 2023 with their facelifted version, the All Electric 500.

And with Fiat’s Icon & La Prima trims available on an elmo subscription, we thought it would only be fitting to bring you it’s top 10 features. 

Short on time?

Take a 3 minute video tour of the La Prima trim with us instead, presented by our in-house EV Expert, Josh. 

Now… back to the top 10 features

1. Electric door handle with e-latch system

This one stumped us at first. But you get used to it! There’s no physical door handle. Just some sorcery meaning that when you place your hand in the cut-out, the door opens. Magic! And from inside it’s a similar story. Just press the open button and it pops open. Handy or a hassle? The jury is out!

P.S don’t worry – if the battery in the car runs to 0% – there is a safety open latch on the door too.

2. Long range

The 500e is an unapologetic city car (it also reached our top 9 EVs for the city round-up). That’s what the 500 has always been – (the petrol versions even include a ‘city mode’ for lighter steering at lower speeds). But that has not stopped Fiat from packing in a very respectable 145 real world miles range, which extends to around 200 miles when you switch on Fiat’s sherpa energy-saving mode (and presumably have a prevailing wind behind you).

Like all electric cars, you get a bit more range in the summer months (170) and a little less in the winter (120) – either way, for short city trips – the 500e will suit most people.

3. Iconic design

We think the 500 looks amazing. It’s a little bigger than the previous 500 generations so feels a bit more spacious inside.

There are a number of very nice touches, particularly the Fiat 500e interior, like the Turin skyline embossed into the wireless charger. Or the simple physical buttons on the dashboard to place the car into drive, reverse or neutral. You can read more about Fiat 500e’s iconic design in one of our previous blog posts here.

4. Recycled fabrics

Fiat has employed ‘Seaqual® Yarn’ throughout its interior seats. This is a high-quality fabric that contains recycled marine plastics. And that’s not a by-word for cheap and tacky. It actually looks and feels excellent.

Plus, if you’re looking for a little extra luxury – the La Prima model comes with leather seats. 

Image Credit: Car-images.com

5. Connectivity

This car is loaded with tech. Of course, there is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto which look utterly gorgeous on the 10.5” centre display. Oh, and it can all be controlled from the rather nifty ‘Fiat all-in app’.

6. Fast charging

Short on time? Not a problem. The 500e can suck up 30 miles range in just 5 minutes. Which if you’re an athlete, means that 5 minutes of charge alone, could get you from the Olympic Stadium to Heathrow! And if you’re not an athlete, the car will reach 80% battery charge in just 35 minutes which will be more than enough for most casual drivers once a week or so.

7. Convertible

If you are thinking of going full Riviera style, you could opt for the ‘cabrio’ trim. Of course, you’ll also need a partner wearing a silk-scarf in the passenger seat with the roof down. That’s the life.

8. Made in Turin (Mirafiori, Italy)

As Fiat embarks on a new chapter of auto-motives, it feels rather fitting for Fiat to bring the manufacture of the 500e to its birthplace. We love the little nods to the 500’s past throughout the interior of the vehicle – from the skyline of Turin on the wireless charge port, to the Fiat embossed leather seats on the La Prima trim. 

9. Sherpa mode + One Pedal Driving

This mode saves energy. A lot of energy. The car already has an excellent 170 real world mile range. But with Sherpa Mode engaged, Fiat claims you’ll be able to get up 285 miles (realistically in the real world it will be a bit less than this!). One pedal driving, uses regenerative braking to convert heat when braking into energy to power the battery. A nice touch if you end up far from one of our elmoCharge enabled charge points!

10. Level 2 Autonomous Driver

The Fiat 500e is the only car in its price bracket to include Level 2 Autonomous driving. What even is that I hear you say? Well, it means there’s cruise control and one or two other rather tidy tricks. The Fiat will recommend the speed you should be driving by reading the road signs. The system will also automatically keep a set distance from the vehicle in front (when over 18 mph) and in lane over 37mph) and includes automatic braking, auto-park, and blind-spot detection. We’re not quite ready for self-driving cars, but this feature is definitely useful!

Want to get your hands on one?

It’s now available on our subscription service in both the La Prima and Icon trims and in four nature-inspired colours. Head over to our electric cars page to browse.