Fiat is bringing an 8-horsepower (that isn’t a typo, it really is eight horsepower) EV to the United States. The Fiat Topolino has a top speed of 28 miles per hour and a maximum range of 47 miles.
The Topolino is pretty popular in Europe where it sells for around $11,500 per vehicle. Part of its popularity is down to the fact it doesn’t actually count as a car. Legislation in various European nations classifies the Morocco-built vehicle as an “electric quadricycle” or a similar strange category of vehicle. Which means taxes are either lower or nonexistent, and teenagers can drive one.
In the US market, where EVs especially have been pushing things like horsepower to extremes in recent years — and “range anxiety” hovers over every potential purchase — it may seem like a strange choice. You can’t even take a Topolino on a highway, because slowly trundling up to 28 mph while everyone is whipping past at 65, 70, or 80 is a bit dangerous. If someone crests a hill behind you at highway speeds (assuming a Topolino has enough grunt to get up a hill), then you may as well be stationary.
Still, while we like to rip on Stellantis’ often silly ideas, this is not one of them. According to Automotive News, there’s plenty of demand for the Topolino and similar vehicles Stateside. And that makes sense once you think about it.
Who’s actually going to buy a Fiat Topolino?
You may think marketing something electrically powered with single-figure horsepower in the US is business suicide. But it’s actually a remarkably shrewd move from Stellantis. To find a market for the Topolino, we need to look south to Florida, a place where things are just weird enough for the tiny EV to fit in.
If you’ve ever spent time in certain Floridian communities or suburbs, you’ll notice people don’t get from A to B in a car. Instead, they often use golf carts to meet their transit needs. A fair number of these carts are gas-powered, but many are electric. And that makes sense, since you don’t really need an ICE engine to run a golf cart, and the lack of fuel smell is probably a positive. Many resorts across the country also use golf carts to transport guests between their various areas.
When you compare the Topolino to any commercial EV, it looks like a bit of a joke. But compared to the average golf cart, it looks like a Bugatti Chiron. A golf cart typically has between 3 mph and 5 horsepower; the Topolino basically doubles that. The same goes for the top speed, 12 to 15 mph for a golf cart, 28 for the Topolino.
Range is a similar story, with even the best golf carts tending to tap out after 30 miles. The Topolino will keep going for 47. The Fiat is a bit heavier, with its 1,239 of weight doubling that of a lighter cart. But it does offer a fully enclosed cabin, so you don’t need to worry about wind, rain, or excessive UV damage.
A Fiat Topolino is more spacious than the average golf cart, too. At close to 100 inches long and just over 55 inches wide, it’s going to be noticeably roomier than a 92 x 48 standard golf cart. Even if the enclosed cabin might make it feel a bit smaller.
New golf carts also tend to set you back between $8,000 and $18,000. So the Topolino may actually be on the lower-end of the price spectrum.
Legislation may help the Fiat Topolino, but could hurt it too
Stellantis has denied that its decision to bring the Topolino across the Atlantic is related to recent microcar-friendly legislation pushed by the current US administration. Inspired by ultra-efficient Japanese “kei cars,” the “Freedom Means Affordable Cars” initiative (a rollback of CAFE standards) essentially approved the manufacture of microcars like the Topolino. The catch is, they pretty much have to be built in the US, rather than be imported.
However, the Topolino could still fall foul of other US legislation. Namely, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards related to crash-worthiness (imagine one getting T-Boned by a Hummer), and various state-level restrictions.
Loopholes and category-based exemptions do exist. It’s why you see things like the Polaris Slingshot in its own special category, or how some states allow lawnmowers on public roads. So that may be the route Stellantis takes with its new EV. We’ve hit the point where things like acceleration, 0-60 times, and raw power just aren’t that interesting anymore when it comes to EVs. But the Topolino is genuinely interesting, and I’m looking forward to bellowing expletives in frustration when I’m eventually stuck behind one.
