The True FIAT 500e Range Details
I’ve been driving around in this Celeste Blue FIAT 500e, testing it out . Everyone asks, what’s the FIAT 500e range? Short answer, it’s 87 miles. But there’s more to it…
If you searched for “FIAT 500e range” and landed here I’m surprised. There is a big ol’ banner on the very top of the Google search results that reads “87 mi battery-only.” However, there’s more to it than just that. If you’re here it’s probably because you want to know more.
The claimed 87 mile range of the FIAT 500e is of course an estimate. If you live in a really hilly area, or your commute is almost all freeway, your range will be a little less. If you use the headlights, heater or A/C, your range will be a little less. If you stomp on the GO pedal real hard all the time, your range will be less.
Ah, but here’s where it gets better. If you drive in stop-and-go traffic your range will actually be a little better. See, the FIAT 500E has regenerative braking. When you brake — something that happens more often than not during morning rush traffic — the system produces power that goes back into your battery, extending the 500e’s range. Most braking systems only produce heat that is then bled away into the air. Not so much here. This is little electric F1 golf cart.
The other nice bit about the FIAT 500e range is that it’s actually quite practical. While this is not a car that will be good for long weekend road trips, as a daily or commuter it is fantastic. If your commute is less than 40 miles one-way, you don’t even need to charge at your destination. You can charge when you get back home.
Testing this little car I thought I was going to get quite of bit of range-anxiety. However, that has not been the case. The only time I did have a case of range-anxiety, I got a lot of it… but it was only once. I basically drove the car all day on the freeway, rather carefree. That night, I was close to home and my phone’s GPS read 4 miles to home. On the other hand, the car’s system claimed 7 miles of range left. Yeah, that sounds OK, but it’s all uphill. The car’s system doesn’t know that yet. In reality, I’d get less than those 7 miles it estimated. I winged it and I made it! This is how the information system looked:
The bottom line is, the 87 mile claimed Fiat 500e range is pretty close. You can get a little less; you can get a little more. If you buy one, be careful at first and give yourself some leeway for the first few weeks. Soon you will get to know how your 500e reacts to your driving conditions and you’ll be able to easily gauge how much you actually get. It’s all downhill and regenerative braking from there!
