Fiat’s tiny Topolino EV opens U.S. orders at $13,995
Stellantis says the 19 mph electric quadricycle will arrive in limited U.S. quantities this year, with a $990 destination fee on top.
By Frankie Delgado · News Reporter
3 min read
Fiat’s pocket-size Topolino is coming to U.S. buyers with a starting price of $13,995, Stellantis said Tuesday, opening orders for an electric runabout that tops out at 19 mph.
The vehicle may look like a shrunken Fiat 500, but Stellantis describes it as an all-electric quadricycle. In practical terms, it functions more like a golf cart than a conventional passenger car.
Stellantis said the Topolino can travel up to 46 miles on a charge. The company also said a low-speed vehicle conversion kit can raise its top speed to 25 mph, allowing it to be street legal on roads where posted speed limits are 35 mph or lower.
A Stellantis spokeswoman said the conversion kit will be free. She also confirmed that a required $990 destination charge brings the customer price to $14,985.
Small car, limited rollout
The Topolino name means “little mouse” in Italian. Stellantis said the model is built in Morocco and will be offered in limited numbers in the U.S. this year.
Buyers will be able to choose between a hardtop version with doors and the Dolce Vita soft-top convertible, which uses a rope in place of doors, according to the company.
Fiat brand CEO Olivier François framed the model as a lifestyle play in a company release, saying: “Topolino represents a new chapter for the brand in the U.S. — defined not just by size, but by purpose.” He added that the vehicle is meant to bring “a feeling” and show that mobility can be “joyful, expressive and beautifully simple.”
A comeback swing for Fiat
Stellantis, the parent company of Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Fiat, confirmed late last year that it planned to sell the Topolino in the U.S., CNBC reported.
That confirmation came less than a week after President Donald Trump praised Japan’s small “Kei” cars during a White House meeting with Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa and other auto executives, according to CNBC.
“They’re very small. They’re really cute,” Trump said at the December meeting. “And I said, ‘How would that do in this country?’ And everyone seems to think ‘good,’ but you’re not allowed to build them.”
CNBC noted that building such vehicles in the U.S. is not illegal, though they must comply with American safety rules, speed requirements and other regulations.
A Stellantis spokeswoman said at the time that Fiat’s Topolino plans were not tied to Trump’s remarks. She said the automaker had already been testing U.S. interest in the vehicle at events including auto shows, according to CNBC.
Fiat faces a tough U.S. market for small vehicles. CNBC reported that Fiat sold 43,772 vehicles in the U.S. in 2012, its first full year back in the market, while U.S. sales fell to about 1,300 vehicles last year.
This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.