Stellantis to sell small Fiat Topolino EV for $13,995 in U.S.

DETROIT — Chrysler parent Stellantis on Tuesday said it has opened ordering for its small Fiat Topolino electric vehicle in the U.S., starting at $13,995. While the Topolino resembles a small car such as the Fiat 500, the EV is actually a quadricycle that functions more like a golf cart. Stellantis said the Topolino is capable of going 19 mph, with an electric range of up to 46 miles. A "Low Speed Vehicle" conversion kit can boost the top speed to 25 mph to make it street legal on roads with speed limits of 35 mph or less, according to the trans-Atlantic automaker. A Stallantis spokeswoman said there will be no charge for the conversion kit but confirmed a mandatory destination fee will add $990 to the base price, bringing the customer price to $14,985. The Topolino, which translates to "little mouse" in Italian, is produced in Morocco. The company said it will be available in limited quantities this year as a hardtop model with doors or a "Dolce Vita" soft-top convertible model with a rope instead of doors. "Topolino represents a new chapter for the brand in the U.S. — defined not just by size, but by purpose," Fiat brand CEO Olivier Francois said in a release. "With Topolino, we bring a feeling, a lifestyle, a reminder that mobility can be joyful, expressive and beautifully simple." Stellantis, which also owns American brands such as Jeep and Dodge, late last year confirmed it would bring the vehicle from Italy to the U.S. less than a week after President Donald Trump praised small "Kei" cars from Japan during a meeting at the White House with Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa and other automotive leaders. "They're very small. They're really cute," Trump said at the December meeting. "And I said, 'How would that do in this country?' And everyone seems to think 'good,' but you're not allowed to build them." It's not illegal to produce such cars in America, but they have to meet American safety standards, speed requirements and other regulations. Small cars such as Fiats have historically not sold well in the U.S. In its first full year in the U.S. in 2012, Fiat sold 43,772 vehicles domestically. Those sales dwindled to roughly 1,300 Fiat vehicles sold last year in the U.S. The Stellantis spokeswoman at that time said Fiat's announcement was unrelated to Trump's comments and that the automaker had been has been gauging customer interest for the Topolino at U.S. events such as auto shows.