Fiat 500EV to be Engineered in Auburn Hills, Michigan
Canadian Auto Press
Although Chrysler’s winged emblem would fit perfectly over Fiat’s badge and strikethrough chrome bar up front on the 500’s nose, the cute little European will serve as a friendly “Hi, I’m back again,” notice to North American consumers that may have parents still remember how difficult it was to get parts for cars that needed them often.
Fiat 500
The modern Fiat is a much different car company than that distant memory, however, and while its cars were once temperamental they almost always delivered high style and reasonably good performance, for the era. The new 500 will perform in an entirely new way for today’s buyer, mind you, as an ultra-hip urban runabout and outrageously frugal gas miser. And just announced, also as a pure electric vehicle destined, dubbed 500EV, sure to have North American environmentalists spinning on their axes to get a better look.
The Fiat 500 showed up on Chrysler’s auto show stand this year, but the automaker waiting until now to announce that the 500EV would be arriving in 2012. Featuring an advanced lithium-ion battery pack, a high-powered electric powertrain module and EV control unit, the tiny commuter will actually be engineered at Chrysler’s Auburn Hills headquarters, and not Italy.
