The Fiat 500 is still going through a difficult period. In 2024, the electric version of Fiat's flagship model saw its sales plummet in the main European markets, notably in Germany and France, two countries that account for a large proportion of sales, and in the United States. 2025 is following the same trend.
2025 follows the trend of 2024
In January and February 2025, the 500 electric car saw a spectacular drop in sales.. In Germany, for example, only 93 units were registered in February 2025, compared with 735 the previous year. In France, the drop is equally marked: 710 registrations in February 2025, compared with 2,114 for the same period in 2024.
| January 2025 | February 2025 | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 167 | 93 | 260 | -71% |
| France | 430 | 710 | 1140 | -73% |
| Italy | 238 | 208 | 446 | -7% |
Fiat responds with hybrid version
Faced with this commercial disaster, Fiat is banking on the release of a hybrid version of the 500. Production of this hybrid version, scheduled to start at the end of 2025, could well be the Turin-based brand's lifeline.
April 2025, the Mirafiori plant in Turin will set up production lines for the hybrid model, with planned production of 100,000 units per year. Unlike the electric version, which is still relatively expensive for a city car, the hybrid should be priced at less than €20,000, making the 500 more accessible to a wide range of customers. Although planned for later this year, enthusiasm for the hybrid model is palpable, and Fiat hopes it will boost sales of its iconic model.
Promotions to tide you over
While waiting for the arrival of the hybrid, Fiat tries to save the furniture with a big promotion for the electric version. In Italy, the base model benefits from a €9,700 discount thanks to the "Bonus Tricolore" offer. The price drops from €29,950 to €20,250, a particularly attractive offer for Italian customers. Similar promotions are expected in other countries in the near future.
This reduction could be a last-ditch effort by the brand to boost sales of the electric 500. In 2024, sales of the electric Fiat 500 reached just 30,000 units, a far cry from the 65,000 sold in 2023, and by 2025, at this rate, the figures could be halved again.
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Just put FCA engines in the entire Stellantis range, don't push the 100% electric and don't want to be pigs in a poke, and everything will be better...
It's obvious, but these financiers, completely out of touch with the desires of European customers and forced to obey the ravings of the EU, are killing the Italian car industry.
FCA engines emit too much C02 and are not adapted to ex-PSA platforms. Close the dyno
Voilà !
Well, that's easy to say from your computer. And then again, FCA's engines are nothing special either. They're not even hybrids yet, so ...well.
The problem with the 500 is not Stellantis but the crooks who ran FCA for some time. No investment once the E 500 was launched (so investment was already planned)...hats off to the guys! Ditto for the rest of the ranges, both Alfa and Fiat. We'll see what happens. And Tavares, at odds with the Italians, has done nothing to really go in the "pro-Italian" direction.
The 500E is a great car, but like Honda and its "E", just wanting to make it a little Mini for rich middle-class people doesn't work for long, as the customer base is almost non-existent. The same thing is likely to happen to Renault with its R5, although there are quite a few Zoe customers ready to switch to the 5.
I have one of the run-out 500 Mild Hybrid cars which is perfectly suited to my age and lifestyle, but I may be persuaded into a new model Hybrid when it becomes available. I love three door cars and, despite the lack of any rivals, Fiat are to be commended for sticking with them. Let's be honest, we're not all looking for SUV's.