Jump over to Fiat's USA website and you'll find two vehicles listed. Only one—the 500X—has a combustion engine. And that trim has been dropped for 2024. The other is the 500e, fresh and new with a familiar face hiding a fully electric powertrain. But that could change soon, according to a recent report from Automotive News Europe.
It seems Fiat is considering an internal combustion option for the 500e. The automaker reportedly contacted suppliers asking for quotes to increase 500e production, which, by itself isn't a big signifier. But the quote mentioned electric and gasoline models, with the majority of production going to an ICE version of the car. Automotive News Europe confirmed the existence of the message but received no further comment from Fiat. We also contacted Fiat and received no comment on the matter.
While just a rumor at this point, there are numerous reasons to believe Fiat is at least considering a new gas-powered 500. It's no secret that EV demand is dropping; all manufacturers are experiencing a slowdown, even Tesla which recently slowed production at its plant in China. In Europe, the 500e had a successful launch with production reaching 77,500 units in 2022. Per the report, Fiat had hopes of hitting 90,000 units in 2023 but instead fell backward slightly to 77,260 cars. Earlier in the year, the automaker dialed back 500e production by cutting a shift at the factory.
There's also the delay on Europe's combustion engine ban, pushing the date from 2030 to 2035. For automakers trying to develop new vehicles, having over a decade of internal combustion life back on the table can certainly open new avenues not previously considered. Among other things, it opens the possibility of a low-cost ICE model for buyers while EV tech is fine-tuned.
How this might come to fruition is unknown. The 500e was designed solely to be an electric vehicle. Fiat still makes a combustion-powered 500 for Europe, but it won't meet new EU emission regulations and is slated to end production later this year. It's also unknown if a new gas-fueled 500 would make it to US shores. If a new ICE 500 does happen, it will likely have a mild hybrid engine and be on the market in late 2025.
