Alexandre
The launch of the hybrid version of the Fiat 500 by 2025 is good news, but it also seems pose a real headache for Stellantis engineers. As a reminder, it's May 2024 when Carlos Tavares, ex-CEO of Stellantis, announced the development of this new hybrid versionin response to disappointing sales of the electric Fiat 500. According to the Italian media Torino Cronacabehind this transition, hides a weight problem which could compromise the future small city car's performance and CO2 emissions.
A major challenge
The electric Fiat 500, which weighs around 1,350 kg, of which almost 300 kg is dedicated to the battery.offers some interesting features for an electric city car. The least powerful version, with 95 hp and 220 Nm of torque, accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.5 seconds and offers dynamic city driving. In comparison, the future Fiat 500 hybrid, which will inherit the FireFly 1.0L 70 hp BSG combustion engine already used in the Fiat Panda, could weigh even more than the latter's 970 kg.
Why do you ask? The answer lies in the addition of the combustion engine (93 kg), fuel tank, exhaust system and all the components required for this new hybrid powertrain. Indeed, by removing the battery (300 kg) and the electric motor (weight unknown) and adding the combustion engine, and adding the powertrain that had already been integrated into an earlier version of the Fiat 500 hybrid from 2020 (weight 980 kg), all this could to an additional weight in relation to the latter. Once all the new components are installed, it's hard not to exceed the weight of the Fiat Panda (970 kg) and the previous Fiat 500 hybrid (980 kg), without degrading the car's overall performance.
Impact on performance and consumption
If the new Fiat 500 Hybrid does indeed turn out to be heavier than the old 500 Hybrid, this will inevitably have a negative impact on its performance. an impact on performance and fuel consumptiont. The previous version, weighing 980 kg and boasting 70 hp and 92 Nm of torque, took 13.8 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h. Compared to this version, the basic 95 hp electric 500, although more expensive, is much faster, with a 0 to 100 km/h time of 9.5 seconds. The future hybrid version could therefore find itself in a delicate situation with lower performance.
In addition, the addition of the internal combustion engine brings also CO2 emissions. The old 500 hybrid, with its emissions of 108 g CO2/km, risks being surpassed in terms of CO2 emissions by the new hybrid version, especially if the weight of the car increases.
A solution: the 1.5L 130 hp engine?
Faced with this dilemma, one solution could lie in the adoption of the 130hp 1.5L engine, already seen on other Fiat models such as the Tipo or the 500X. This engine, more powerful and suited to larger vehicles, could help compensate for the increased weight while maintaining good performance. However, the introduction of this engine would not be without technical complications. Plus, Olivier François, CEO of Fiat, has announced the Fiat Panda engine.
Fiat engineers seem to be caught in a real dilemma. If adding a hybrid combustion engine to an electric car heavier than the previous hybrid version The new engine's performance and CO2 emissions make it unlikely that a simple solution will ever be found. With a target date of 2025, Fiat still has time to find solutions.
as long as it's not the purtoc, who cares about the engine? .....vivement la 500 thermique.
Macht keien Sinn gscheiter rein elektrisch
FireFly 1.0L not available with turbo?
Yes, but not in mhev... but why not put the turbo and mhev version.
Exactly, they can give it the power they want. This engine made 120hp under the 500x
Indeed, this would be the most realistic solution, rather than using the 1.5-liter engine, since otherwise we'll end up regretting Peugeot's 100 hp, which would be the last straw,
if it hadn't been such a mess, it would have been the most logical solution.
Which makes the most sense to me!
Actually there is 1.0 turbo 12V BSG MHEV on sale in South America. Car in question is Fiat Pulse.
But for Europe they've made some development on 1.2 ex Pure tech (now called hybrid LOL) 100HP as 12V BSG MHEV aorh manual transmission.
1.5 130 HP? It would be more suitable for Abarth version. Real life performance od 1.5 130 HP is better than 1.2 136 HP from Peugeot.
Totalmente d'accordo. È necessario il 1.0 turbo hybrid e poi una ice per l'Abarth. In ogni caso le versioni elettriche sono molto adeguate alla 500, ma i prezzi sono ancora troppo alti.
Si c'è il 120 cv
Nönnte der 900 ccm zwei Cylinder keine Lösung sein?
70bhp in a much heavier 500 will give too little performance for a 500 Hybrid weighing less than 1000kg.
It has to be close to 100 hp, otherwise it will be an unsuitable calf outside the city.
With a 100hp engine on the 500 hybrid, FIAT could offer an automatic BV.
The 6V gearbox is unbearable in town!
No doubt the engineers have the technical solution. For me, the problem will be pricing. From the outset, the 500E has been too expensive (well, maybe not at launch, because it was brand new and beautiful, and the bobo clientele only had the vehicle's good looks in mind... so it sold very well, especially in Germany, for example). To make a success of hybrid sales, we're going to need affordable prices this time, because those who are prepared to pay more for the vehicle's good looks are no longer interested in a hybrid, and in any case they now have the new Mini or R5 as their target.
With the thermified 500, Fiat must become Fiat again and sell a good product at the right price! Have the Stellantis pundits understood this?
Der alte Mildhybrid muss wieder zurück. Dessen Formensprache war weitaus besser als das pummelige Elektrovehikel. Schaut euch an, wie gut das Modell in Nordafrika läuft.
Da jetzt der Vorstand ausgetauscht ist, kann doch FIAT mal zur Besinnung kommen. Und bitte vergesst den Puretech-Motor ein für alle Mal. So eine Fehlkonstruktion!
FIAT steht am Scheideweg: Erfolg oder Untergang in Happy-Wokeness.
Do you know if several engine versions are planned? When will we know? Surprisingly, Fiat hasn't revealed it yet...