- Fewer than 500 examples of the electric hatchback have been sold in the U.S. this year.
- The Mirafiori plant also handles the production of the Maserati GranTurismo and GranCabrio.
- Despite poor sales, Stellantis is investing €100M into developing a new high-performance battery.
Update 12/12: Well, it’s that time of the week again, as Stellantis can’t seem to make up its mind about how long it wants to stop production at its Mirafiori plant in Italy. This time, we learn that the stoppage, which affects the electric Fiat 500 and the Maserati GranTurismo and GranCabrio, will extend until January 20, 2025, or two full weeks longer than previously announced. Production will halt starting December 18, 2024.
Stellantis stated it is still “assessing” its order books for January but declined to comment on media speculation about the sluggish sales of the Fiat 500e. “We will make announcements about January’s activities next week,” the company told Reuters in a statement. Stay tuned for the next chapter.
Original story follows below.
Lackluster demand for the all-electric Fiat 500e has once again prompted Stellantis to pause production at the Italian factory that builds this pint-sized electric hatchback. Despite Fiat’s hopes for the 500e to be a breakthrough model, the reality has been anything but.
Previously, Stellantis had confirmed that it will halt production at the Mirafiori plant between December 2 and January 5, 2025. Originally, the plant was scheduled to shut down from December 18 to January 5 due to the Christmas and New Year holidays. However, the company recently informed unions that production would also pause from December 2 through to December 17, extending the break further than initially planned.
Review: Fiat 500e Is A Stylish EV But At What Cost?
The Fiat 500e has proven to be a thorn in the side of Stellantis in recent months. In September, the car-making conglomerate revealed that 500e production would be paused from the second week of that month until October 11. Yet, halfway through the planned shutdown, Stellantis extended the halt until November 1.
The disruption won’t only affect the 500e. The Maserati GranTurismo and GranCabrio are also produced at the Mirafiori plant, meaning both models will be impacted by the December shutdown, Reuters reports.
The reception to the 500e has been particularly poor in the United States. Fewer than 500 examples have been sold locally this year, despite Fiat releasing several special edition models in recent months. These include the 500e Giorgio Armani, the 500e ‘Inspired By Los Angeles,’ the 500e ‘Inspired By Beauty,’ and another known as the ‘Inspired By Music.’
Read: Fiat Still Can’t Sell The 500e, Extends EV’s Production Halt
While many companies would consider cutting their losses after such disappointing sales, Stellantis is taking a different approach—at least for now. The brand has already committed to investing €100 million ($105 million) into developing a new high-performance battery for the 500e that should boost its dismal driving range and contribute to improved performance. Fiat is also reverse-engineering the 500e to accommodate a hybrid drivetrain with plans to launch this model in late 2025 or early 2026.
