Fully electric hot hatchback packs 152bhp and can sprint from 0-62mph in 7.0sec On sale June Price from £35,000 (est)
George Hill George.Hill@haymarket.com
AIR FRYERS ARE revolutionising the world of home cooking because they cook just as effectively as conventional ovens but use a lot less energy. In a similar vein, the new Abarth 500e electric car could have a big impact on the world of hot hatchbacks.
You see, the 500e is one of the first fully electric hot hatches to hit the market. As such, it will have instantaneous power from its electric motor and, of course, that will come without any exhaust emissions.
Based on the Fiat 500 Electric, the 500e is powered by a front-mounted electric motor that produces 152bhp and 173lb ft of torque – up from the 117bhp and 162lb ft of the Fiat.The 500e’s official 0-62mph time is 7.0sec, which is marginally quicker than the petrol-powered Abarth 595 (7.3sec) but slower than the 695 (6.7sec). Further down the line, though, a quicker version of the 500e will join the line-up.
The 500e uses a 42kWh battery, which is the same size as is used by top versions of the Fiat.The Abarth’s official range is shorter, though, because of its more powerful motor. Abarth is yet to confirm the official range, but we expect around 160 miles (compared with 201 miles for the 500).The 500e can accept charging rates of up to 85kW, so a 0-80% boost should take around 35 minutes via a suitably powerful charging point.
The 500e may have the nippy acceleration befitting a junior hot hatch, but does it sound like a proper hot hatch? Well, apparently so. Naturally, as an electric car, it’s capable of near-silent running, but Abarth has developed a sound generator that’s said to reproduce a similar sound to the 595’s petrol engine when you accelerate, adding to the drama.
Helping to tailor your experience behind the 500e’s wheel are three driving modes. Turismo is intended to maximise range, limiting power to 134bhp and torque to 162lb ft, with the emphasis on smoothness rather than outright pace.Then there’s Scorpion Street, where full power is available, but you can also have strong regenerative braking, where energy that would normally be lost when you lift off the accelerator is put back into the battery.The side effect is that the car slows so quickly that you rarely need to touch the brake pedal at all. Finally, there’s Scorpion Track, where you also
