But will it work in the USA?
Fiat's CEO has once again hinted that it will be building a sub-$30,000all-electric Panda, this time suggesting it could start around $27,000. Olivier Francois mentioned that it will be unveiled in July 2024, which is when Fiat will celebrate its 125th anniversary.
"There is a real need for more affordable EVs," Francois said in an interview withAutomotive News Europe. Francois also revealed that there will be synergies between the next-generation Panda and the new Citroen e-C3. He's likely referring to the STLA Small Platform, which is currently being developed to take over from the existing electric Common Modular Platform.
The e-CMP Platform currently underpins several European-only models, while the more advanced e-CMP2 sits underneath the Jeep Avenger and Fiat 600e.
Why should you care about an all-electric Panda, especially since it has never been sold in the USA before? Fiat is obviously under the impression that America is finally ready for tiny electric vehicles. TheFiat 500eis being adapted for the US market and will arrive in 2024. It's expected to cost around $35,000, which remains out of grasp for the intended target audience.
Fiat will aim for a starting price below €25,000, which is roughly $27,000. For that, Fiat will give you a workaday Panda with essential luxuries and a range of 160 city miles. It will be aimed directly at the Dacia Spring, the cheapest EV on sale in Europe.
Fiat will also target customers who have moved to EVs imported from China, which sell their wares for much less than established European brands.
We dig the idea of a no-frills all-electric Panda aimed directly at city dwellers. The original Panda was also a basic car, albeit aimed at country-dwelling peasants. Even so, it ended up being the city car of choice for many, and that's the direction Fiat went in when the time came to build a successor.
t的设计师he original famously likened it to a pair of jeans.Giorgetto Giugiarosaid it was styled to be simple, practical, and without pretense. That's precisely the kind of ethos Gen Z would buy into.
That said, we don't think a Panda would work in the US. The Citroen e-C3 we mentioned earlier will be built in Slovakia, but Stellantis has hinted that other STLA Small models will be built in Spain to keep costs down. And while the Dutch-basedconglomerate has signed dealsto ensure some of its top-selling American models will receive at least a portion of the tax credits for EVs, we don't see it doing the same for a niche brand like Fiat.
With Tesla's entry-level Model 3selling for a lot lessin certain states, it's almost a moot point.
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