Fiat's $13,995 EV For America Is Cute, But Barely A Car

With a top speed of 19 mph and range of 46 miles, the Fiat Topolino isn't even street legal without an optional pack to raise its top speed.

Photo by: Fiat

Kevin Williams

By: Kevin Williams

Jul 7, at 3:45pm ET

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The Fiat Topolino is a tiny two-seat micromobility EV with a range of 46 miles.
This car is not street legal without it's forthcoming top speed upgrade, which raises it from 19 mph to 25 mph.
It is a twin to the Citroën Ami.

We complain that there’s such a huge dearth of cheap EVs on our market, and that no brand has actually tried in earnest to get a truly cheap EV on our roads. Well, I think we can stop complaining, because Fiat’s finally done it.

The two-seat Fiat Topolino can be yours for a miniscule $13,995 (not including its $900 destination fee), a stunning $16,500 cheaper than Fiat’s next cheapest car, the 500e. There’s just a catch, though: the Topolino technically isn’t even a car. Heck, unless you equip it with a special kit to raise its top speed, it’s not even street legal.

Photo by: Fiat

The Fiat Topolino is a restyled version of the Citroën Ami. These vehicles are micromobility products much closer to golf carts and Honda Motocompactos rather than true cars. Power is limited, range is limited, and they lack a lot of features that you’d find in a standard vehicle. Even in Europe, it’s not technically qualified as a car, instead being called a quadricycle making it effectively an enclosed scooter. In the U.S., the Topolino can be considered a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle or Low Speed Vehicle, although Fiat says it’ll need a “street legal upgrade” to get it there. Its standard 19 mph top speed isn’t fast enough to hit the 20 mph requirement to be considered a neighborhood electric or low speed vehicle. The good news is that the upgrade is free.

So it's not quite a car, and it can't go on highways. But the Topolino is undeniably cute. Like its French sibling, it’s a charming design. It has doors that are identical on either side, so they open in opposite directions, just like the Ami's doors. However, the Fiat’s retro headlights, taillights, and wheels I think make it look a bit more approachable than the Ami. The Dolce Vida edition with its canvas top and rope doors are a clever throwback to the classic Fiat 500 Jolly.

Unfortunately, the Topolino doesn’t come with much. It's got the aforementioned low top speed and a modest 46 miles of range from its dinky 5.4 kWH battery. The standard equipment list has its horn, seatbelts, and windshield as advertised features, so do not expect much inside. There’s a defroster, but no heater or A/C. There’s no stereo, but there is a phone holder. Contributor Andrei Nedelea wasn’t really a fan of its French cousin, and told us that it “sucks to drive.” We’ll have to see if maybe things are a little different here in the U.S. I’ve driven a Polaris Gem e2, a direct competitor to this car, and I can’t see how anything could possibly be worse.

Fiat seems to be targeting golf courses, amusement parks, and places that would need a small micromobility vehicle to transport people around a closed area. On paper, the Topolino seems to really hit all the right notes for users who are looking for a vehicle that can do something like this. The Polaris Gem vehicles may have more options available, like an a heater and air conditioner or even a Rockford-Fosgate sound system, but those options, along with the vehicle itself, can get very expensive.

What do you think?

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The Fiat Topolino is also much more whimsical than Polaris' glorified golf cart. It’s not really a car, but I think when viewed in the appropriate context of low-speed micromobility, I think it’s definitely got a purpose. A niche one, for sure, but a purpose nonetheless.

Contact the author: Kevin.williams@insideevs.com.