Fiat 500e discontinued because no one buys it

Stellantis will stop production of the 500e in Turin for four weeks, but the ICE model has been discontinued and the hybrid model will not be available for another 18 months.

Fiat is ending production of its 500e as it struggles to cope with a lack of demand for its stylish electric city car.

Stellantis has confirmed that the 500e production line at its Mirafiloi plant in Turin, Italy, will be suspended for four weeks from September 13, meaning that for the first time since 2007, no new 500 of any kind will be built in Europe.

Related: Fiat 500 Ibrida Hybrid to be built in Italy and launched in 2026

“This measure is necessary due to the current lack of orders and the severe difficulties that all producers, especially European ones, are experiencing in the European electricity market,” Stellantis said in a statement. Reuters.

The old combustion 500, built in Poland on a completely different Panda-based platform than the EV, was discontinued this summer because it didn’t comply with new cybersecurity laws and Fiat didn’t want to spend the money to update it. Production of the ICE 500 hasn’t stopped completely: the model is still made in North Africa, but those versions aren’t eligible for sale in Europe.

Rather than upgrade the old ICE 500 to keep it selling, Fiat has chosen to reverse-engineer a new hybrid model, the electric 500e, to house a small combustion engine and an electric motor. But that car, the 500 Ibrida, won’t be ready until late 2025 or more likely 2026, leaving Fiat dealer stocks looking empty for the next 18 months.

The hybrid will be produced alongside electric cars at the historic Mirafiori plant, which is undergoing a 100 million euro ($110 million) makeover in preparation for Fiat’s reconfigured electrification plans.

Fiat isn’t the only automaker forced to change strategy as demand for electric vehicles falls far short of expectations. Toyota, GM, Ford and even premium brands like Aston Martin and Mercedes are extending the life of existing internal combustion engine vehicles or investing more in developing new ones.