Or it could be that Fiat decided continuing to make the old bodyshell was too expensive and it wasn't up to modern standards of crash protection.

The new shell is bigger, stronger and just making one shell on one factory has to be cheaper. An ability to retrofit the old fashioned power train is undoubtedly the nail in the old shells coffin.

Now 500e is like the rest of the Stellantis EVs overpriced, but that doesn't detract from it being a good car. They've just launched the new style 500e in the US. Great city car but US needs probably needs more range and 10k dollars cheaper..in my opinion.

Edited by Ethan Edwards on 13/09/2024 at 13:26

The 500/500e relationship is a bit confusing.

The "original" 500 as introduced in 2007 did have a limited "500e" electric version just sold in the USA I think which was a rather cobbled together effort of just sticking a motor and battery in the same car instead of an engine and fuel tank. I don't think they made many.

The 500e introduced in 2020 as an EV only model is an all new car and shares little with the original 2007 500 but that car continued in production as was with a (very mild) hybrid petrol engine.

Now what they are planning is stopping production of the original 2007 model and making a petrol version of the new 2020 model in addition to the EV version.

Hope that makes some sense.