- Stellantis has extended the production halt on the Fiat 500e due to low demand.
- A new high-performance battery is in development for the Fiat 500e and hybrid model.
- The hybrid version of the 500e is expected to launch in late 2025 or early 2026.
Stellantis has officially extended the production halt on the all-electric Fiat 500e, and the reason is as predictable as the weather—sluggish demand for this cute yet quirky EV.
Originally, production of the 500e was put on pause in the second week of September, with a promise to resume by October 11. Well, it seems that timeline has already been pushed back to November 1. Stellantis has previously pointed fingers at broader challenges in the European EV market to explain the lack of interest in the 500e, which is starting to feel like a classic excuse for a less-than-stellar performer.
Read: Fiat 500e Production Paused Because No One Is Buying It
Despite the dismal sales figures, Stellantis isn’t throwing in the towel just yet. The company plans to invest a whopping €100 million (about $111 million) into developing a new high-performance battery for the 500e. While details on this battery are still under wraps, the expectation is that it will bring improved range and power to the table. Additionally, Fiat is working on a hybrid version of this pint-sized city car.
The demand for hybrid vehicles has surged while EV sales growth stagnates, and Fiat is reverse-engineering the 500e to accommodate a new hybrid drivetrain. This model, dubbed the 500 Ibrida, is set to launch in either late 2025 or early 2026. In addition to helping prop up sales of Fiat’s electrified vehicles, the hybrid 500 will fill the void left behind by the combustion-powered variant that was killed off during the summer.
Fiat has been feverishly promoting the 500e in the US this year, creating Nike-inspired ‘product drops’ of special edition models, including the ‘Inspired By Beauty,’ ‘Inspired By Music,’ and ‘Inspired By Los Angeles,’ even partnering with Jennifer Lopez to promote them.
Stellantis confirmed it had extended the production pause on the 500e while announcing that chief executive Carlos Tavares will speak with an Italian parliamentary committee next week on the future of the brand’s production in Italy, Reuters reports. In a statement, the brand said Tavares will “provide the most exhaustive picture of the group’s automotive production in Italy,” adding “that complex international and European situation of the automotive sector requires rapid responses.”
