The 2015 Fiat 500e makes going green chic and easy
The 2015 Fiat 500e makes going green chic and easy
5:35

The 2015 Fiat 500e makes going green chic and easy

Auto Tech
And like I said that instant torc, speed bump. Whoa, look at that. Look at that, like I said [LAUGH] My cameraman sitting next to me, you guys, and he is flipping out. [LAUGH] [MUSIC] So, what do you get when you combine Italian styling with just a little bit of eco consciousness. No, it's not that green pasta that we all love so much. It's this, the twenty fifth 15 Fiat 500E and that's right, it's electric baby. [MUSIC] Fiat says that ugliness is the worst solution of all and frankly I tend to agree with them. There's no reason that EVs Need to look space age. There are a few tweaks on the body of the Fiat that the eagle eyed might see, like the lower front fascia, and rear spoiler, for better aero, and a rear diffuser. But beyond that and some simple 500E badging, the electric version looks just like the gas powered 500. So, like a giant roller skate. So, how does it all work? Well first of all, we get rid of this giant piece of plastic, cuz we don't need it. And I've got a high voltage lithium ion battery. Here I've got my regular battery that just powers all my accessories, and then tucked underneath that is the electric motor. Now here is where all the magic happens, this is the inverter. What that does is that inverts, see what I did there? That inverts the DC power from the battery into AC power that the electric motor wants. And that will give you a range of 87 miles per charge. But of course, this baby needs some juice, right? There's a couple different ways you can do that. The first way is through just a regular 110 volt outlet. That is just what you would find in your home. So you just plug this guy in And then you just plug this guy in and simple, but you're gonna have to wait 24 hours for a full charge. Another way to do it is via a level two charger and that is like you would find in your washer and dryer, 240 volts. You need to install a power unit in your home for about $2,000, but that will allow you to charge the car to a full charge in four hours. Now unfortunately the Fiat 500E does not support the high speed, the level three charging which would charge it up In about a half an hour. [SOUND] But, the good news is, the battery is covered by an eight year limited warranty, and you can charge this from the mid cycle all the way up full, and it will not diminish your battery life. You've only got seven cubic feet of space back here, that is less than the regular 500. So what does it mean for my trademark laundry basket rating? Well, Looks like I can shove two in there, but don't think the doors gonna close. So, trade my laundry basket rating of zero, but don't dispar you can fold those rear seats down and get about 26 cubic feet of space. Now, the interior of the cabin is pretty sparse, and unfortunately you got a lot of plasticky materials. But in terms of the tech They've kind of taken a cafeteria approach, in that you've got a big plate and maybe a couple of different small plates to make a whole meal. Now my big plate is right here in the center and that's what gives me all the information about what I need to see while I'm driving. Then I've got some little plates, now one of them is a TomTom navigation system which unfortunately our test model didn't come with for some reason. But that would sit right here, right in your line of sight. And when most people use navigation on their phone anyway, it's kind of a wonder why Fiat still offers the TomTom. But right in here, I do have the Blue&Me system. It's pretty easy to hook up your cellphone and the sound quality is pretty good. There's no HD radio, but there is Sirius XM satellite radio, which is awesome when you have to sit in traffic. [MUSIC] But does that range live up to the hype? Well, my first time in the car, I've made an 11 mile commute, and that drops my pursued range by three miles. But on the reverse, that dropped my range by 36 miles. So essentially, 87 mile range is 87ish miles, okay? It's all gonna depend on road conditions, traffic Conditions and driving style. But here's what's great. I have a 147 pound feet of torque. And that is all instantly available going through the front wheels. So that means I just mash the gas, and it's right there. [LAUGH] It is so much fun, and that's what makes this car really cool to drive around in I've only got one forward gear here. I just press D on the pushbutton in the middle here. And I just go. You can't get a six speed manual so I can't even give you guys props about when you choose a manual over choosing the automatic because this is all you got. Now, I do have 111 horsepower, which is more than the regular Fiat 500. But it is significantly less than the turbo model, but it is still enough to repel me up to 70 miles an hour out on the highway, maybe even a little bit faster if you want to take your life in your hands just a bit. But I have great, really quick steering. It's an electric set up but the feel is nice and heavy. And I've got this short little wheelbase which means that. Right into the scene taking turns accelerating out of them. It's a lot of fun. I'm gonna go out on a limb, and say that this car, next to the Ambar, is the most fun Fiat 500 that you can drive. [MUSIC] So, how much is this gonna cost you? Well, the 2015 Fiat 500 E starts at 31,000. $800 which is a lot but you do get a $7,500 federal rebate and then depending on where you live you can save up to $14,000 on this car. That's right that's like two European, no, three European vacations. Of course there are other options out there. For example the smart tv gives you twice as much torque and it starts at $5,000 less. That's it for now. Thanks so much for watching. I'm Emmy Hall. Hey be sure to find me and CNet on all of those crazy social medias. See you later. [MUSIC]

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