Fiat Takes Another Step Towards Its Electric Future

Stellantis is hard at work paving the way to its electric future. The multinational automotive group recently announced a $2.5 billion investment in a US-based battery plant and a number of its brands are embracing the era of electrification. Maserati, for example, recently unveiled the Grecale Folgore and a battery-powered GranTurismo is in the works, too.

But what about Fiat? Well, the Italian brand's UK subsidiary has stated that as of July 2022, it will only offer electrified vehicles in its lineup. This means that British-based consumers will only be able to purchase hybridized or fully-electric models, such as the delightful 500e.

"This step in Fiat's history marks a pivotal point in our commitment to providing affordable and sustainable mobility solutions for all of our customers. The move lends itself to our vehicles which are suited to urban areas," said Managing Director Greg Taylor.

While this is perfectly fine for our British contemporaries, the announcement has made us wonder about Fiat's future in the USA. The 500X is the company's sole offering and currently isn't available with a hybrid drivetrain in the United States. Overseas, a hybridized model is available but the carmaker has made no mention of a local introduction.

Should Fiat as a whole adopt the UK's approach, it would spell doom for the American subsidiary. It wouldn't come as a surprise, to be honest. Save for the locally discontinued 500, the Italian automaker hasn't enjoyed great popularity or success. Its current global lineup won't be suited to American needs, either. The 500e, while cute, has an electric range of just 199 miles.

This announcement highlights the different approaches Stellantis is taking concerning the European and American markets; it wants to achieve 100% passenger BEV sales in the EU. Fiat has previously said it will pivot to electric power by 2030, which makes us wonder whether the brand has much of a future in the USA.

Even if the 500X is part of this strategy, it wouldn't make financial sense to sell such a niche product here. If Fiat is to have a future stateside, the brand will have to whip something out of its hat. Interestingly, the popular Ram ProMaster range is based on Fiat models.

It would be a pity to lose Fiat, as the brand has always brought a bit of quirkiness to the wider US car market. Interestingly, the battery-powered 500e enjoys great popularity in Europe, where it sits only behind Tesla in terms of EV sales.