Fiat

The US is about to get one of the cheapest electric vehicles ever offered for sale, as the Stellantis Group has confirmed that the tiny Fiat Topolino will be available Stateside.

Starting from just $13,995 (plus a $990 destination fee), the compact electric runaround features an equally minuscule 5.4kWh battery pack that delivers just 46 miles of range on a full charge. There's also a distinct lack of creature comforts.

Based on the Citroën Ami, the glorified golf cart is designed to offer a mobility solution for busy European cities, with the model classed as a light quadricycle (category L6e) that sees the law regard it more like a four-wheeled scooter or moped than a traditional passenger car.

This allows drivers as young as 14 to get behind the wheel in some European countries, and with the lack of a stereo, air conditioning, or an infotainment display (there is a smartphone cradle), the vehicles are about as basic and easy to maintain as they come.

That said, micromobility options like this are on the rise in the USA, where a craze for golf carts seems to be sweeping the nation.

According to a report by Today, residents of affluent neighborhoods are using electric carts for everything from grocery shopping trips to school drop-offs.

Golf cart manufacturer Club Car says the market value has soared from $1 billion pre-pandemic to more than $5 billion today.

Fiat hopes to cash in on this boom, with a range of stylish Topolinos that arguably have slightly more character than your average golf course transportation.

Thanks to its restricted top speed, diminutive proportions, and limited crash safety features, the Fiat Topolino isn't really classed as a traditional "car" in North America.

In fact, should customers want to use it on public roads, they will have to pay for a special conversion kit to raise the top speed to 25 mph and make it street legal on roads with speed limits of 35mph or less.

According to CNBC, Stellantis won't charge extra for this, but a mandatory destination fee of $990 will see the final price increase to $14,985.

The impossibly cute car, which roughly translates to "little mouse" from its native Italian, will also go on sale in the UK, with prices starting from £8,995.

Numerous models and special editions have already been touted, including a Sport edition that adds bespoke wheels, colors, and badges.

Fiat also unveiled a Multiplina concept (see above) that takes the Topolino platform and stretches it to act as "the missing link between a Topolino and a car," according to its maker.

There's no word on when we will see that go into production, but order books for the standard micro machine are already open in most markets.

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Leon has been navigating a world where automotive and tech collide for almost 20 years, reporting on everything from in-car entertainment to robotised manufacturing plants. Currently, EVs are the focus of his attentions, but give it a few years and it will be electric vertical take-off and landing craft. Outside of work hours, he can be found tinkering with distinctly analogue motorcycles, because electric motors are no replacement for an old Honda inline four.

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