All-electric Fiat Fiorino launches in February
For the first time in Fiat's history, an all-electric version of a vehicle was released right along with the "standard" (read: gas or diesel powered) versions. The vehicle in question is the new Fiat Fiorino, which was shown at Transpotec in Milan last month and then last week at the Commercial Vehicle Show in Amsterdam. Italiaspeed has the details. The electric Fiorinos were developed by Micro-Vett and use lithium ion batteries to get a 100 km range, can go up to 80 km/h and zip from 0-50 km/h in seven seconds. Nothing spectacular there, but decent enough for city deliveries. The Fiorino EVs will be available in February and will be distributed by Newteon. Prices have not yet been announced.
Powertrain options for the non-electric Fiorinos include a "greener version" that get 52 mpg with CO2 emissions of 119 g/km.
[Source: Italiaspeed, h/t to Demetrio]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Paul Berg 2:04PM (11/05/2007)
Am i dreaming? Can a car maker make an electric NON concept car? Is it true? Can´t bee...
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Kardax 2:56PM (11/05/2007)
As an American used to our bizarre systems, I must say those numbers don't look so bad at first glance...
Doing the conversions, it comes out like so:
Range: ~62 miles
Top Speed: ~50 miles per hour
0 to 30 MPH in 7 seconds
That's awful. The low top speed basically excludes it from freeway use, limiting its market to greenies with more money than brains.
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Joseph 8:35PM (11/05/2007)
Ugh, another silly electric car made for stupid fleet vehicles.
This is just like the electric fleet of postal vans in the U.S. back in the 70's (or was it 60's or 80's ?)
I know this is supposed to be good, but it really isn't. It just perpetuates the idea that EVs are slow, ugly, and not fit for mass market.
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Tetsuya 7:48AM (11/06/2007)
I'm not sure at all about the US but over in Europe these cars actually do make a lot of sense and there are a lot of reasons for this:
1) these figures, with the lithium-ion battery aren't that bad.
2) petrol in Europe has reached absurdly high prices and this lets the user get away from all that
3) the EU has a commitment towards CO2 reduction and this kind of car goes in that direction. The german car manufacturers have managed to delay the new rules, but they will be delayed only so far.
4) As of 1 January, cars in Spain will be taxed according to CO2 emissions. Similarly Sarkozy in France has announced taxes will similarly be introduced soon in France.
5) Several countries and the EU as a whole here are considering pushing manufacturers towards limiting car top speeds to somewhere around the 150 km/h mark. This will make some of the previous comments very useless (at least in Europe)
6) 80 km/h does actually get you onto the highway even today, just not in the fast lane. I'd rather get to my destination later, but saving a packet in petrol and being respectful of the environment, thanks very much. It's the SUVs and not these cars, which should be criticized. Perhaps an alliance between FIAT and Batscap could be the next step.
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hyperlexis 11:03PM (11/29/2007)
Er, no. This is totally incorrect. Fiat introduced a small, all-electric hatchback sedan in the 1990s, the 1990 Elettra for city driving. I think it had lead acid batteries. "The two-seat Panda Elettra, introduced in 1990, was an early player in the environmentally-friendly electric car stakes. The batteries occupied all the space behind the front seats plus some under the bonnet where the 18 bhp (13 kW) DC motor was also fitted, driving through the normal clutch and gearbox. The weight increased significantly, to 1150 kg (2535 lb), necessitating stiffer suspension and uprated brakes. In 1992 the power went up to 23.8 bhp and the weight dropped slightly."
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hyperlexis 11:14PM (11/29/2007)
Image of electric Fiats. Extraordinarily rare >>>> http://www.attractivewallpapers.com/cars/fiat/1992-fiat-cinquecento-elettra/ne-1600-1.jpg
http://www.attractivewallpapers.com/cars/fiat/1992-fiat-cinquecento-elettra/ne-1600-2.jpg
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