Stellantis wants to carve out a space for Fiat by any means possible. The Fiat 500e is charming, even if it’s kind of expensive, but it looks like Fiat’s next act will go the cheap and cheerful route. Fiat is aiming for the electric version of the Grande Panda to be one of the cheapest EVs in Europe. Oh, and it might just make it to the United States. If Fiat’s Grande Panda enters the U.S., it just might end up being the cheapest EV for sale in the United States.
We’ve seen the Grande Panda before, but on June 11, Stellantis and Fiat let more details about the subcompact runabout slip to the public. Fiat says this car uses the Stellantis “Smart Car” platform, an altered version of the e-CMP platform used on not-for-U.S. cars like the Peugeot 208. This same platform is shared with the recently released Citroën ë-C3.
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Fiat has plans for the U.S.
Fiat's renaissance in the US is reportedly more than just reintroducing the 500e. Fiat's North American Lead, Aamir Ahmed, was clear that the brand plans to introduce more electrified models to grow the brand.
Thus, the Fiat Grande Panda EV uses the same 44 kWh battery and 110 horsepower front-motor, front-wheel-drive setup as its Citroen counterpart. The range isn’t official or EPA-certified, but we expect the Grande Punto to get roughly the same 198-mile WLTP rating as the ë-C3. If it were to come to the U.S., we’d probably expect an EV range of somewhere in the 150-mile ballpark. The Fiat 500e has a similarly sized battery and electric motor and is rated for 199 miles on the WLTP cycle but only 149 miles on the EPA cycle. Not a lot, but if it’s cheap enough, it could be a compelling offering.
Thankfully, despite sharing much of its mechanical bits with that car, the Grande Panda isn’t a straight-up rebadge of the Citroën ë-C3. The Grande Panda’s interior is basic but interesting. There’s wood trim, lots of surface changes, and interesting detailing – like the mini original Fiat Panda encased in translucent plastic mounted next to the infotainment screen.
But this is more than just us here at InsideEVs lusting after yet another reasonably priced EV we’ll never see on American roads. No, Fiat itself announced that this model is under consideration for sale in North America.
Gallery: Fiat Grande Panda
Fiat hasn’t entirely confirmed the price, but the brand expects the Grande Panda to start at roughly 22,000 GBP, or $28,500 USD at current exchange rates. That’s substantially more than cars like the ultra-cheap Dacia Spring, but unlike the Dacia Spring, the Fiat Grande Panda has double the power and seating for five instead of four. Also, Stellantis has been open about its plans to sell a low-cost $25,000 EV here in the United States. The Fiat Grande Panda could be that car. Add in the fact that Fiat North America lead said we’d know more about the potential for Fiat’s US plans after a date that coincided with the release of the Grande Panda, and it’s not hard to put two and two together.
I hope for Fiat’s sake that it hurries up and makes a decision. The Fiat 500e is all alone in the showroom, and it’s not clear how long that can go on.
Contact the author: kevin.williams@insideevs.com
