Believe it or not, we have been working in the EV industry since getting out of the gasoline powertrain world in 2018. We prefer a nuanced approach to EV adoption, where increasing the number of electric vehicles on the road sees more thought than simply converting the current fleet over to electric. The current trend seems to be to create electric vehicles that can meet the driving range of typical gasoline-powered automobiles, and it just leads to massive curb weights and underutilized batteries.
To us, a good application of electrified powertrains is in commuter cars for people with commutes under 30 miles or so. Stuff like eGolfs and the 500e. For many people, it's pretty feasible to do those 60 miles per day and then charge the vehicle using AC power in the garage once home for the day. Small packs like the 24kWh pack in the 500e don't take long to charge, eliminating the necessity of DC charging, which takes a toll on battery longevity. We would expect a 500e to charge in around 8-9 hours on a 120V outlet, meaning you could plug it in at work to get your full range back, or you could just plug in once home for the evening. Sure, it would charge at 6.6kW (30amp 240V service) if you installed a level 2 charger at your house, making for a 3-4 hour charge, but we wouldn't even bother for a pack this small.
Year: 2017
Model: Fiat 500e eSport
Engine: 111bhp electric motor
Transmission: Single speed
Mileage: 18,195 mi
Price: $8,250
Location: Rialto, CA
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2017 Fiat 500e eSport
2017 FIAT 500E - SPORT Black / Black with orange accents. The factory warranty is good until May 2021 and an additional Power Battery Main until May 2025. The vehicle is in very good conditions, drives good and looks good.
The nice thing about the 500e, besides the generous battery warranty, is the fact that FCA didn't develop the electrified powertrain. That was left to Bosch, who have the benefit of cross-pollination with the rest of the auto industry. This particular setup is known for being pretty durable, and we would wager that it's a safer bet than a gasoline-powered Fiat 500. That said, once the battery pack is out of warranty the risk of have to replace a pack becomes a consideration. Packs are not cheap, but they aren't particularly difficult to replace either.
These are fun cars to shop for because the availability is very high, the miles on the cars for sale are low, and they just seem to offer a good value. We think the reason for this is the range weed-out. For those who have additional cars at home to use on longer trips, the 500e might be a fun addition for short trips around town.
-Graham