Stellantis put a lot of hope in the last Fiat 500. The small urbanite was presented loaded with electrification, with a zero-emissions variant and also the recent one with microhybrid technology for those who still had a predilection for combustion. However, his production has been paralyzed for longer than expected and the reason seems clear. This could put the continuity of the legendary Italian model in question and we could face a premature end.
The Fiat 500 has gone through several ravages since its launch, but recent times have been more complicated. The low sales They ordered a one-month production stoppage, but now Stellantis has reconsidered the issue. A return to the assembly line was announced on October 13, but the new plans are to resume production next November 1. The recession in electric sales in Europe is to blame for these readjustments and for the doubts surrounding them.
In the first half of the year 74,885 units were sold of the Fiat 500 in Europe. A priori, it is not bad at all, but we must take into account that it is 24% less than those sold the previous year. It must also be taken into account that the market is going down, but the share of electric has gone from 14.6% to 13.5% in the same period, therefore it is not justifiable. Sales are not taking off due to a lack of incentives, insufficient charging infrastructure or the low residual value they maintain.
If we focus on the case of the Fiat 500, the numbers have been so worrying that they have had to retreat and return combustion to its range. With the 500 Ibrida they intend to promote sales of this model and ensure that there are no more stoppages in its production. It seems to all manufacturers having caught them by surprise the slowdown in electric sales, just when they had put all their focus on this technology. Fiat has made a large investment to add an improved battery to the 500, which will increase its range and reduce costs. We’ll see if the move works out for them.
