New Fiat 600 may or may not be first STLA use of safer, cheaper batteries

Fiat’s latest car looks like the new 500, but it’s larger—the Fiat 600. Sold in both battery-electric (600e) and hybrid-electric versions, the 600 is instantly recognizable as an updated Fiat.

New Fiat 600 / 600e

The Fiat 600e can run over 600km (372 miles) in the WLTP urban cycle, while reaching 80% of a full charge in less than 30 minutes; but the 0-62 mph time of around 9 seconds won’t set any records. In a combined city/highway cycle, the range drops to 400 km. The car has a 100 kW fast charger and an 11 kW on-board charger with a mode 3 cable for home or public charging. On regular European current, with the Mode 3 cable, the 600e can fully charge in under six hours.

The platform is shared with the new Jeep Avenger, and the vehicle is 4.2 meters long; by comparison, the Chrysler 300M was 5 meters. (A meter is around 39 inches.) The car has three diving modes, economy, normal, and sport; the hybrid won’t be available until mid-2024. The 600e is not based on the new STLA Small or Medium platform; it is, instead, using E-CMP, a variation on Peugeot’s CMP. The car will be built in Poland.

The Fiat 600e was strongly rumored to use LFP (lithium iron phosphate) batteries, which are safer than standard lithium-ion batteries but have less energy density. That means the batteries, reputedly sourced from experienced Chinese automaker BYD, would be heavier than lithium-ion units of the same capacity, but far less prone to fires. However, the Stellantis press release only refers to “lithium-ion” batteries and makes no references to LFP or iron phosphate.


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