2023-12-18 12:00:01
With the year 2024 looming on the horizon, the date on which the restrictions in the Low Emission Zones (ZBE) will come into force in the main Spanish cities, the question about which city car to buy to avoid having mobility problems is accentuated. The ideal is to opt for models with the ECO or Zero label. To resolve the doubt we have compared the urban model par excellencethe Fiat 500, with its two engines, the 70 HP gasoline hybrid and the 87 kW (118 HP) electric one, and up to 330 km of autonomy in urban mode.
The new 500, which once again captured the general public with its resurrection in 2007, has been adapting to the tastes of drivers and responding to the technological demands imposed by the EU for twenty-five years. Today, in the market, you can find only two mechanics, the hybrid and the electric one. Gone are the gasoline and diesel engines of the past.
The version of the Fiat 500 Hybrid is really a light hybridization with which it achieves the ECO label from the DGT. A passport that allows you to circulate through the ZBEs without any type of restriction. It has a 1.0 liter three-cylinder engine, with 70 HP of power, which is supported by a small 12V electric generator and a lithium battery. With this technology, it achieves special efficiency when starting and stopping in traffic jams or traffic lights, which translates into tighter consumption, which the brand estimates is close to 5 liters of gasoline per 100 km.
For its part, the Fiat 500e relies on an 87 kW (118 HP) electric drive, which is powered by a lithium-ion battery with 42 kWh capacity, which allows it a theoretical range of 330 km. But the most important thing, beyond the distance it can travel with a full charge, is the consumption, which is 13.6 kWh/100 km.
With this consumption and with the current average price of electricity in Spain, which is 0.18 euros per kWh (although there are some offers of rates of 0.03 between 1 and 7 in the morning), travel 100 kilometers with The electric model will cost 2.45 euros. However, that same distance, with the hybrid version, would cost 7.52 euros.
Interior 500e
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This means that amortizing the price difference between both models – the Hybrid costs 17,900 euros and the electric 28,500 –, which is approximately 10,589 euros, would be achieved after 140,811 kilometers. A distance that for the 500e’s 42 kWh battery is equivalent to the distance included in the eight-year warranty or 160,000 km, when it is at 70 percent of its useful life.
The electric version is ideal as a purchase option for urbanites, those who travel within the city or within a radius of about 20 kilometers from their home. Which allows them to move with a 100% charge, which gives them a range of 330 kilometers, for five days at a cost of only 8.25 euros. Those same kilometers, with the Hybrid version, will become 24.75 euros spent on gasoline.
For those who intend to travel longer distances, which exceed the electric autonomy, the hybrid version is beginning to gain strength. While routes greater than 300 kilometers require 500e users to make good planning to find chargers and make long stops to recover the battery, with the 500 Hybrid that problem is diluted. Furthermore, one of the added problems of trips or getaways is the slavery of traveling to destinations where there is a public charger. With good planning you will reach the destination, but the difficult part afterwards is moving and recharging at the vacation spot.
Interior 500 Hybrid
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Beyond the technological differences and consumption, both models are practically the same. The exterior measurements are similar, with an average of 3.6 meters long, 1.6 wide and 1.5 high. This allows there to be no changes in habitability and available space in the cargo area. Both the Fiat 500 Hybrid and the electric one offer 185 liters of trunk space. It is clear that it is not a significant volume, but we are talking about an urban A-segment model. However, it can accommodate two trolley-type suitcases, enough for a couple’s vacation getaway.
Maletero del 500e
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The space in the rear seats can be a handicap on long trips. Its two seats offer 120 cm wide and 86 cm high. It is not an ideal space, but two adults can be accommodated although with reduced mobility.
Features 500e and 500 Hybrid
Fiat 500e – Engine: 87 kW (118 HP) electric Consumption: 13.6 kWh/100 km Measurements (length / width / height, in meters): 3,632 / 1,683 / 1,527 Trunk: 185 liters Maximum speed: 150 km/h Acceleration: 9 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h Price: From 28,437 euros
Fiat 500 Hybrid – Engine: 70 HP gasoline Consumption: 5 liters/100 km Measurements (length / width / height, in meters): 3,571 / 1,627 / 1,488 Trunk: 185 liters Maximum speed: 167 km/h Acceleration: 13.8 seconds from 0 at 100 km/h Price: From 17,848 euros
The behavior and driving sensations of both versions are very similar. It stands out especially in urban areas for its agility and quick response (especially the electric version), which makes it the ideal vehicle for exploring city centers. On the road it is also impeccable on all types of routes, as we could see on the twisty roads of the Costa Brava (Gerona), where it easily solved slopes greater than 10% and infinite curves of almost 360 degrees in which it showed perfect grip. .
The top speed is almost the same, the 500 Hybrid reaches 165 km/h and the 500e is limited to 150 km/h, which gives it a lot of ease on highways when overtaking and being able to achieve good travel averages.
After testing both versions of the Fiat 500, the electric model has more advantages, because fuel savings are important given the difference in the cost of traveling 100 kilometers. But it is also true that for those who like to travel and not have to be enslaved by the limited charging infrastructure that Spain currently has, the ideal option is the 500 Hybrid.
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