Driving Electric​

Electric recharging at home using a Wallbox can work out far cheaper than running a petrol or diesel vehicle.  Fiat has gone into partnership with Octopus Energy, one of the few UK domestic energy suppliers to offer cheaper night time tariffs, ideal for charging an EV at home.

The larger battery 42kWh 118hp versions of All-Electric Fiat 500 have an impressive official combined-use range of 199 miles (WLTP combined cycle).  Their official urban-use range is an amazing 285 miles (WLTP city cycle). The smaller battery 24kWh 93hp versions of All-Electric Fiat 500 still manage a very usable combined-use range of 118.1 miles (WLTP combined cycle) and 159.7 miles in urban-use (WLTP city cycle). 

While it is possible to plug in to a domestic 3-pin socket, this method is not recommended as it may overload your home's wiring (it also requires an accessory  Standard Mode 2 charging cable).  The safest and most economical way to charge your EV is by plugging into a professionally installed Wallbox charger, using the Single-Phase Mode 3 charging cable supplied with your electric Fiat. A Wallbox charges at 7.4kWh - three times the speed of a domestic power socket.  The costs to recharge at home vary depending on the energy provider, allowing you to shop around, and invariably making it cheaper than using public charging points where rates are fixed. Octopus Energy will install a competitively priced Ohme home or workplace Wallbox charger as part of their partnership with Fiat.

There are several types of public charging station: fast chargers range in power from 7 kW to 22kW, while Rapid charging stations go from 50kW right up to 350kW, enabling you to get 80% charged in 30 minutes or less.  They used to be found mainly at motorway services, but are becoming more commonplace, for instance​ at supermarkets and town car parks. There are numerous operators of charging points.  Some allow for a simple swipe of a credit card to get charging, while others may ask you to register with their smartphone app and in some instances pre-load your account with funds. ​Octopus Energy, in partnership with Fiat, offer their Electroverse smartphone app, which brings together the majority of the UK's public charge-point suppliers.  Making usage and payment straightforward, as well as helping with journey planning.

Many towns and cities are operating, or are introducing, their own traffic schemes.  As a rule, electric cars are exempt from such schemes as they emit zero tailpipe emissions.  It's important to check the details of any local scheme, as you may need to register your EV and, in some cases, pay a small one-off fee to gain exemption.

Quite the opposite! An EV is perfect for city driving.  Using the regenerative braking function, you can almost drive with one foot, and you get the buzz that comes from instant acceleration.

Electric cars drive smoothly as they have no gears, plus they produce very little noise.  The result is a relaxing environment, which significantly reduces the stress of driving.

Absolutely! The BIK rate for All-electric 500 for the 2023/24 tax year is just 2%. That means huge savings, even if you’re moving from a hybrid vehicle.

The mechanics of an EV are much simpler than those of a traditional car, as there are fewer moving components and fewer liquids to top-up or replace during servicing. Thanks to regenerative braking, even the brakes are used less often than in traditional cars, so last longer.