Fiat opens U.S. orders for $13,995 Topolino low-speed EV
Stellantis says the tiny electric quadricycle will arrive in limited U.S. quantities this year with a range of up to 46 miles.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
3 min read
Stellantis said Tuesday it has begun taking U.S. orders for the Fiat Topolino, a tiny electric vehicle with a starting price of $13,995. The launch gives Fiat a low-priced electric offering in a U.S. market where the brand’s sales have fallen sharply from their early-2010s levels, according to CNBC.
The Topolino is not a conventional small car, according to Stellantis. The automaker describes it as an all-electric quadricycle, a category closer in use to a golf cart than to a full passenger vehicle.
Stellantis said the Topolino has a top speed of 19 mph and can travel up to 46 miles on a charge. The company said buyers can add a Low Speed Vehicle conversion kit that raises the top speed to 25 mph, allowing the vehicle to operate legally on roads with speed limits of 35 mph or lower.
A Stellantis spokeswoman told CNBC that the conversion kit will be offered at no charge. She also said a required $990 destination fee lifts the customer price to $14,985.
Two body styles, limited supply
Stellantis said the Topolino will be available in limited numbers in the U.S. this year. The company said buyers will be able to choose between a hardtop version with doors and a Dolce Vita soft-top model that uses a rope in place of doors.
The Topolino name means “little mouse” in Italian, according to CNBC. Stellantis said the vehicle is built in Morocco.
Fiat brand CEO Olivier Francois said in a company release that the Topolino marks a new U.S. chapter for Fiat focused on purpose as well as size. Francois said the model is meant to bring “a feeling” and a simpler form of mobility to the brand’s lineup.
A small-car bet for Fiat
CNBC reported that Stellantis confirmed late last year that it would bring the Topolino to the U.S. That confirmation came less than a week after President Donald Trump praised Japan’s small “Kei” cars during a White House meeting with Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa and other auto industry leaders.
At that December meeting, Trump called the Japanese models “very small” and “really cute,” CNBC reported. He also said he had asked how such vehicles would perform in the U.S. market and said people seemed to think they would do well, though he claimed they were not allowed to be built.
CNBC noted that producing small cars in the U.S. is legal, provided they meet American safety standards, speed rules and other regulations. A Stellantis spokeswoman said at the time that Fiat’s Topolino announcement was unrelated to Trump’s remarks and that the company had been measuring customer interest at U.S. events such as auto shows.
Fiat has struggled to build sustained volume in the U.S., according to CNBC. The brand sold 43,772 vehicles domestically in 2012, its first full year back in the U.S., while sales fell to about 1,300 vehicles last year, CNBC reported.
This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.