Although the Fiat 500e is a solution to downsizing our cars, it’s not exactly popular. At least, not here in North America. We prefer our large and spacious trucks and SUVs, and when it comes to electric vehicles (EVs), we’re all more inclined to lean towards long-range models that don’t require stopping often at public charging stations. But the fact of the matter is that small EVs like the Fiat 500e are a very smart solution for people not required to travel far, which constitutes a much larger percentage of car owners than you would imagine. Including billionaire Bill Gates who, oh yeah, absolutely loves his 500e.
2025 Fiat 500e
The charming 500e soldiers on in 2025 with no real changes, except for a new Giorgio Armani edition to spice up the lineup. It’s still cute, fun to drive, relatively affordable and makes a case for the necessity to have small, lightweight EVs that require less resources to build.
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2024 Fiat 500e First Drive: One Of The Most Refreshing EVs I’ve Driven In Years
The Fiat 500e proves that electric vehicles make a lot more sense when they’re packaged in a small-footprint format.
Bill Gates Says The Fiat 500e Is His Favorite Means Of Transportation
In a YouTube podcast episode with the Meyers Brothers, Microsoft founder and outspoken billionaire Bill Gates talks about this “little red Fiat”. Bono gave him the car as a result of their joint charity aid to support global health causes like AIDS and COVID. The model in question is a Fiat 500e RED edition, which is marketed in partnership with the RED charity program.
Anyway, when asked by the brothers what his favorite means of transportation is, Gates, who also owns a Porsche Taycan, admitted that it’s actually the Fiat that he prefers to drive. He finds it cute, because, well, it is. But he also admits to getting a kick out of driving around in a small car and enjoying seeing people’s reactions when they see him in it.
Small EVs Like The Fiat 500e Are Important For So Many Reasons
The goal of this is not to promote the Fiat 500e because Bill Gates also drives one, but to underline why this small, fun EV is more important than most people think. We at TopSpeed actually gave this car the runner-up position for the best EV of 2025 precisely because of its significance in the automotive industry. Look, it’s no secret now that manufacturing electric vehicles comes at an environmental cost. We need resources to build these batteries in the form of crucial minerals such as cobalt, lithium and nickel, just to name a few.
2025 Fiat 500e Technical Specifications
|
Battery Type |
Liquid-Cooled Lithium-Ion |
|
Battery Capacity |
42 kWh |
|
Electric Motor Type |
AC Three-Phase With Permanent Magnet Rotor |
|
Driveline |
FWD |
|
Horsepower |
117 hp |
|
Torque |
162 lb-ft |
|
DC Fast Charging Performance |
85 kW |
|
Level 2 AC Home Charging Performance |
11 kW |
|
EPA Range |
149 mi. |
So, if we end up only building massive EVs like the GMC Hummer EV or the even more ostentatious Cadillac Escalade IQ, vehicles that can literally fit two Tesla Model S batteries inside them, we’re not better off as a civilization. Rather, what the 500e suggests is that all you truly need in life — especially if you live in a crowded city and generally commute less than 100 miles each day — is a small, low-footprint EV. Its 42-kWh battery is tiny by any current EV standard, meaning you can fit two of it in a regular electric sedan like, say, a BMW i4. And, because that battery is so small, it doesn’t take that much time to charge it. It’s also a zippy and fun car to flog around, the kind of old-school hot hatchback driving experience we’re not really getting from modern cars anymore. In a nutshell:
- The Fiat 500e is fun to drive.
- It doesn’t require many resources to build it.
- It’s perfect for people living in large, urban centers.
- Its small battery doesn’t take a lot of time to charge.
TopSpeed’s Take
For me, at least, the Fiat 500e was one of the most refreshing EVs I had driven in a while. And it’s a shame we’re not seeing more carmakers going in that direction. Over in Europe, Renault recently reincarnated the iconic Renault 5 into an affordable EV. There’s even a high-performance RS Turbo model that looks rad as hell. I’m sure it would do great here.
And Volkswagen will soon build a small EV called the ID.1 that essentially reminds us of the early generations of the adorable Golf. Small EVs are becoming a huge deal across the pond, because, of course, European car buyers still prefer small cars. But there’s so much to learn from this trend here in North America. For now, sadly, the charming 500e is still alone on its rock here, along with the MINI Cooper SE.
