Now 500 gets battery power

By Luke Madden

04th January 2010

Fiat’s baby is on the charge. Reports suggest that American firm Chrysler will team up with its Italian owner to unveil an all-electric version of the popular 500 city car at next week’s Detroit Motor Show.

An electric 500 would be a surefire hit, although Chrysler has announced that it will not be staging an official press conference at the event to confirm details of the car.

Even so, the battery-powered model is still likely to appear on the stand – and it will boast similar technology and performance to the MINI E.

It’s expected to feature a bank of more than 5,000 battery cells. This will allow the car to travel 150 miles on a single charge, thanks in part to a regenerative braking system and new aerodynamic updates. A full refill from a standard household socket could take up to 10 hours – although a high-power three-phase supply could cut that time by more than half.

The batteries will increase the kerbweight and reduce the Fiat’s famed agility, but that won’t stop it from covering 0-60mph in around 10 seconds and hitting a 90mph top speed.

If you want a low-emissions 500, but can’t wait for the all-electric version, Fiat has something else up its sleeve.

Among a raft of plans recently revealed by group boss Sergio Marchionne is the introduction of an all-new two-cylinder 900cc engine for the car later this year. This will come as a turbo with 79bhp or 104bhp, or naturally aspirated with 63bhp. It promises to be 20 per cent lighter than an equivalent four cylinder powerplant, so it should be significantly more efficient.

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