EV 500
Fiat have given NICE Car Company- a British company and EV Adapt- a Swedish company permission to buy their Fiat 500 and remove the combustion engine to replace it for an electric motor, reselling it as an EV. With the Swedish company, buyers have the option of buying one without a battery at a reduced price and then rent the battery pack.
The car has a 24kw three-phase AC motor, a top speed of 120kph(75mph) and a range of 120km(75miles).
The battery pack consists of two sets of LiFe Po4 battery cells, with an energy capacity of 15kwh. It will recharge in 6-8hrs with a standard 230v socket
The European price of the car is around €24,000 without the batteries. Buyers can rent the batteries for a monthly fee of around €150 (depending on dealers/suppliers) and a fee, which covers all of their electricity use. There is a smart meter on board which will monitor the state of charge of the batteries and if the charge spend is over their monthly cost, the difference is deducted from the following months payment.
Fiat also have an EV version of the Doblo van available in the same versions as their petrol and diesel models.
Prices in Ireland are not yet available
Dealer availability in Ireland to be announced