Abarth Is Already Working On A Hotter Version Of Its First EV Hot Hatch

Nov. 25, 2022 2:06 PM ET by Gerhard Horn Electric Vehicles / 3 Comments

Using the Stellantis parts bin, Abarth can easily produce a faster 500e.

The first electric Abarth made its debut a few days ago, and already the Italians are hard at work trying to make it faster.

Abarth's 500e is currently equipped with a 42 kWh battery and a single electric motor powering the front wheels. The claimed output figures are 152 horsepower and 173 lb-ft of torque, which is close to what the powertrain can produce reliably and with a decent range.

The latest report comes courtesy of Autocar, which recently sat down for an interview with Fiat's CEO, Olivier Francois. He revealed that Fiat is already working on 10 new cars, five of which will be launched within the next five years. Fiat will finally have more to offer than the mediocre 500X.

US customers will have to wait a bit longer, however. Fiat is currently in the process of developing a 500e for the American market. It will debut at the LA Motor Show in 2023 and go on sale a few months later in 2024. We don't have a release date for the Abarth 500e, but it will likely follow shortly after. We also don't know how many Abarth models will be made, as not every one of the planned Fiats needs a go-faster version.

"All [Fiat models] can potentially have an Abarth version, but it will not make sense for all of them. We will assess each model within the team," said Francois. Remember that Fiat is known for more than just the 500 and 500X outside the USA. It also sells the Panda and Tipo on the passenger side and is well represented in the commercial sector thanks to the Ulysse and Doblo vans.

Obviously, we can forget about Abarth versions of the commercial vehicles, but an Abarth badge would go a long way toward making the 500X interesting. The Concept Centoventi (Concept 120 in English) suggests that Fiat might be working on a small, affordable family vehicle like the 124, 127, and 128 sold between 1967 and 1985.

As for now, all we know is that the brand is working on a more hardcore Abarth 500e. "Everyone is already working to make this car even faster, even sportier, even louder," said Francois.

Since the current platform is at its limit, Fiat will need to dip into the Stellantis parts bin. Thankfully, Stellantis has already published loads of information about its electric STLA platform. The most likely candidate for Fiat products is STLA Small, with a 300-mile range and a battery output of up to 82 kWh. That's nearly double the current battery size, so a faster version of the Abarth 500e could easily produce 250 hp.