Several automobile brands have been in turmoil for several years, and some are tempted to take the electric turn to turn things around and, above all, to give yourself a second life. This is the case of Fiat whose CEO recently mentioned that it wants to become an electric brand by 2030.
Fiat, which is now part of the new automotive group Stellantis, has announced that it wants to make the transition to electricity by the end of the decade. The news was confirmed by the brand’s president and CEO during a recent address in Milan, Italy.
By 2025, Fiat intends to begin the transition and will have a mix of gasoline and electric vehicles. Moreover, the manufacturer has already started the process since, since this year, the Fiat 500 2021 is only sold in an electric version. Unfortunately, Canada is not entitled to it, it is only sold in Europe, where the model continues to enjoy some success. It will be recalled that the Fiat 500 was withdrawn from the Canadian market in 2019, in particular due to insufficient sales volume.
But Fiat does not simply intend to produce electric vehicles, it intends to stand out from other manufacturers by offering affordable and more accessible models. According to Fiat CEO Olivier François, it is the company’s duty to produce vehicles that are offered at the same price as an equivalent gasoline vehicle.
According to the latter, the thing will be made possible by the accelerated development of batteries and the fall in prices. He estimates that 70% of vehicles sold in Europe in 2030 will be electric, this percentage would rise to 30% in the US market. The electrification of the range could therefore mark the arrival of several new models in the country.
In Canada, the manufacturer still markets for 2021 the Fiat 500X, a subcompact SUV sold for a base price of $ 33,245. The Fiat 124 Spider and 500L were discontinued in 2020. The manufacturer therefore joins MINI, Volvo, Jaguar, Bentley and Lotus, all brands having announced that they want to become electric by 2030.
Our opinion
Fiat has never really managed to gain a foothold in Canada, not least because of the reliability of its vehicles, but a compact, reliable and, above all, very affordable electric model could certainly appeal to electric vehicle buyers on a budget. more limited.
