Fiat 500 - Range, charging and running costs
With competitive pricing and reasonable insurance costs, the all-electric Fiat 500 should be cheap to run
There are two batteries offered in the Fiat 500; the first is a 24kWh unit that has a maximum claimed range of 118 miles on the WLTP test cycle. You’re probably looking at nearer 100 miles in real world conditions, so you’ll have to decide if that limited range suits your lifestyle.
Thankfully, the 500 is also available with a 42kWh battery that boosts the electric city car’s range up to a much more usable 199 miles. That’s more than the MINI Electric, Honde e or Ora Funky Cat will cover on a single charge.
When we tested the bigger-battery Fiat 500, we saw an estimated 168-mile range from a full charge with the Normal driving mode engaged. However, this figure climbed a little when switching to the more efficient Range mode and rose to over 180 miles using the Sherpa setting, which reduces the maximum available power and limits top speed to 50mph.
During our three-way test between the 500, Honda e and MINI Electric, the Fiat covered four miles per kWh – just ahead of the Honda at 3.8mi/kWh and the MINI covering 3.6mi/kWh.
As well as the extra range, 500s equipped with the larger battery can charge at up to 85kW, compared with the 24kWh model’s 50kW maximum charging speed. A 10 to 80 per cent top-up from a suitably fast charging point in either version will take around half an hour. Meanwhile a standard 7.4kW home wallbox will take two and a half hours to fully recharge the 24kWh model’s battery, or over four hours if you get the larger battery.
Insurance
Arranging insurance cover for your all-electric 500 shouldn’t prove to be too expensive, with the (now discontinued) entry-level Action version rated at group 15 and all other cars in groups 16 or 17. It will cost a little more to insure a convertible, given that they range from group 19 to 21.
In comparison, the 134bhp Honda e will cost more to insure because it sits in group 25, while the 152bhp variant is in group 29, although there isn’t really much of a performance advantage over the 500. The MINI Electric, with 181bhp, offers more bangs for your buck and starts from group 22.
Depreciation
Residual values for the all-electric 500 aren't as strong as they once were. After a typical ownership period of three years and 36,000 miles, our latest data suggests the battery-powered 500 should retain around 35 per cent of its original sticker price when new. In comparison, the MINI Electric holds onto an average of 53 per cent over the same three-year period.
