Fiat is now doing something no car brand has ever done with a car

Fiat 500 on gasoline

When Fiat launched the electric 500e in 2020, it was presented as the beginning of a new chapter. The classic gasoline-powered 500 remained available for a while, but its fate seemed sealed: the future was electric. However, the demand for a fuel-engine 500 remained high (or the demand for electric low), and so Fiat is now coming up with a remarkable solution.

The 500e originally designed as an electric car has been converted into a gasoline-powered version: the new Fiat 500 Hybrid. In doing so, Fiat is doing something never before seen by a major automaker: converting an electric car to a fuel-engine model. Never before has an automaker so literally reversed the electrification process.

What can we expect from the gasoline-powered Fiat 500?

The first images of the new 500 Hybrid show a car that hardly differs in appearance from the electric version. The recognizable lighting and silhouette as well as the compact size are all retained. The interior also appears unchanged. So the new 500 Hybrid is based on the 500e, but instead of a battery pack under the floor, there is now a gasoline engine under the hood. Fiat itself is still keeping quiet about the technology, but our guess is that the car will be equipped with a 1.0-liter three-cylinder Firefly engine with mild-hybrid support – the same powertrain as in the previous 500 Hybrid and the current Panda Hybrid.

Tank Valve

Although the body, interior and design are almost identical to the 500e, there are subtle signs that this is really a gasoline variant after all. Fiat deliberately shared images showing the fuel filler door open and a manual gearshift. This is a detail obviously missing from the 500e.

Italian roots

Production of the 500 Hybrid will take place at the Mirafiori plant in Turin. This is also where the electric 500e will be built. The first pre-production models have already been assembled there. Series production should start in November of this year. Fiat is aiming for more than 100,000 units produced per year. The vast majority – more than 70 percent – are destined for export.

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