Whereas Fiat and its efficiency subsidiary Abarth have all the time loved success in Italy and Brazil, the model has did not catch on in different markets. The US is a good instance. Presently, the model affords only one mannequin, the 500X, however the 124 Spider, 500L, 500, and Abarth 500 have all been culled lately. The latter was a very sore loss because the Abarth 500 was a enjoyable little tyke that prioritized pantomime over practicality in one of the best ways. Regardless of being all however defunct within the US in the intervening time, Abarth is alive and nicely in Europe, and it is now embarking on a new adventure: electrification.

Traditionally a tuner of Fiat fashions, Abarth has now chosen its first mannequin of the brand new period. And it is a acquainted one certainly, because the first-ever scorpion-badged EV might be none aside from the new Fiat 500e.

That is in line with Autocar who not too long ago interviewed model boss and CEO, Olivier Francois about the way forward for the model.

In keeping with Francois, the efficiency arm will spawn as much as three fashions at a time, of which the electrical Abarth 500 would be the first. “A 12 months and a half in the past, I stated it might’t be that tough [to make an Abarth 500 EV],” he stated within the interview. “Electrical vehicles are so enjoyable to drive already. The excellent news is that we’re actively engaged on it, and as soon as it is confirmed, it will likely be comparatively fast.”

Nevertheless, Francois concedes that it’s not as straightforward as that. “If you wish to do an actual Abarth, it is not the same electric powertrain. As soon as it has the ability and torque you need, it is now not the identical drivetrain, nor the identical transmission or brakes… the entire thing needs to be tailored.”