2023 Fiat 500e price and specs: $52,500 plus on-road costs for tiny electric car

The 2023 Fiat 500e electric car is due in Australian showrooms some time between July and September 2023 priced from $52,500 plus on-road costs – more than double the price of the previous most expensive petrol variant.

Arriving in a single, highly-specified 'La Prima' model grade, the new 500e electric hatchback is the most expensive Fiat passenger vehicle ever sold in Australia – and the company's first electric vehicle locally.

It costs nearly double the $27,220 plus on-road costs of the most expensive petrol-powered Fiat 500, the Dolcevita hatch – and is dearer than the $38,400 plus on-road costs of the Abarth 695 Competizione petrol hot hatch.

The Fiat 500e is priced similarly to larger, longer-range electric cars – including BYD Atto 3 Extended Range ($51,011 plus on-road costs) and Hyundai Kona Electric Elite ($54,500 plus on-road costs) – though is about $3000 cheaper than its closest rival, the Mini Cooper SE ($55,650 plus on-roads).

It remains to be seen if a cheaper version of the Fiat 500e follows the launch La Prima (or ‘the first’ in Italian) model in Australia at a later date.

An Abarth 500e hot-hatch version is due in Australian showrooms later this year with a price expected to nudge $60,000 before on-road costs.

The electric 500e will be sold alongside the petrol-powered 500 for the time being – however it is expected to be phased out in Europe next year, which may see Australia follow.

Powering the Fiat 500e in Australia is a single electric motor with 87kW and 220Nm, driving the front wheels with a 42kWh battery pack for a modest claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time of 9.0 seconds.

Fiat in Europe claims a 311km electric driving range, while DC fast charging at up to 85kW is said to allow a zero to 80 per cent recharge in about 35 minutes.

The 500e La Prima is fitted with nearly all features available on the model in Europe, including 17-inch alloy wheels, a 10.25-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a panoramic glass sunroof, front and rear parking sensors, “eco-leather” seat trim, and heated front seats.

A full suite of advanced safety features are standard, including autonomous emergency braking, lane centring assist, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, traffic sign recognition and tyre pressure monitoring.

Many of these features – including LED lights, the large touchscreen and advanced safety systems – were not offered on the previous, petrol Fiat 500, which turns 15 years old in 2023.

The only options on the new electric car are metallic paint for $700, and tri-coat Celestial Blue paint for $1600.

The 2023 Fiat 500e electric car is due in Australian showrooms between July and September 2023.

Note: All prices above exclude on-road costs.