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Spitballs flying between Nissan and Fiat

George Kennedy — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 18:03:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, LA Auto Show, Plants/Manufacturing, Hatchback, Nissan, Electric, Fiat

At the 2012 LA Auto Show, Fiat brand chief and recently crowned marketing genius, Olivier François, attempted to distance the Fiat 500e from other electric vehicles, asking rhetorically, "Isn't ugliness the worst kind of pollution?" Nissan has apparently taken issue with these comments, feeling slighted for what it considers digs at the Leaf's styling. In a recent interview with Automotive News, Nissan's marketing chief Simon Sproule shot back, "Let's face it, Fiat has not shied away from controversial styling themselves," he continued, "many would describe many of their products as visual pollution." Ouch.

Sproule says that while the 500e is a "me-too" product, made only to appease US emissions regulations, the Leaf is a serious effort at producing an EV. The Nissan marketing boss points out that the Japanese automaker has invested billions in EV development and production facilities, while Fiat will lose $10,000 on every 500e sold.

However sales of the Leaf in the US are down five percent. Nissan sold just 8,330 Leaf's so far this year, but Sproule contends that it has less to do with styling, and more with the charging infrastructure. Sproule also thinks that Nissan hit a balance between styling and practicality with the Leaf: "It's still very recognizable as a five-seat hatchback, fully functioning, absolutely competitive with the packaging of the Golf of any other mainstream vehicle." For a segment where efficiency is king, isn't that what matters most?

Spitballs flying between Nissan and Fiat originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Dec 2012 18:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2013 Fiat 500e looks loud, runs quietly

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 20:40:00 EST

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Hatchback, Electric, Fiat

Somebody wanted it, so we all got it - the Fiat 500e, the electric city car packed with enough Earth-saving tech that CEO Sergio Marchionne quipped (admittedly, early last year) that each one built will cost Fiat $10,000. The good news is that it not only comes with tons of EV-only gadgets and features, it does a good job, to our eye, of flaunting its electric looks and it offers the kinds of personalization one would expect of a hatch in the 500 family.

The multi-contrast exterior is grouped into three color packages, including an e-Sport Package that pairs mean with green. The Interior can be had in either Nero or Steam, both coming with Electric Orange accents, and a seven-inch TFT screen with all kinds of electric-car-status details.

Juice comes courtesy of a 111-horsepower electric-drive motor with 147 pound-feet of torque, using a battery rated at 24 kWh. Range is estimated at "more than 80 miles" on the 15-inch Firehawk GT low-rolling resistance tires, but Fiat says stories of "greater than 100 miles" aren't uncommon. With our high-res gallery above, you don't have to go that far to check it out from every angle.

2013 Fiat 500e looks loud, runs quietly originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Nov 2012 20:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2013 Fiat 500e finally ready to rock down to Electric Orange Avenue

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 00:05:00 EST

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Hatchback, Electric, Fiat

For a car that Fiat didn't want to build, the company sure has a lot to say about it. The damn near mythical Fiat 500e is finally here, and a trip utilizing its 100-mile range would probably give you just enough time to finish reading the press releases that came with it.

Among the highlights are the color, Electrico Arancione - Electric Orange to the Anglophones among you - with contrasting white lower fascia, available only with the Bianca Perla (white) interior treatment. There are three exterior treatments, Nero (black), Bianca Perla and the eSport Package, that decide the color of the exterior accents (like the front fascia and mirrors) on the car's five available hues of Argento (silver), Grigio (gray), Bianca Perla and Nero, and that aforementioned Electric Orange that can only be had with Bianca Perla. The e-Sport Package gets the Nero interior and blacks-out the hatch in Nero trim work, black wheels and a "gradient-style" graphic along the door for "a high-voltage look."

The leatherette interior comes in two colors, either Nero or Steam, and gets Electric Orange accents. Electric-car touches include the seven-inch TFT screen in the dash that provides basic driving information as well as the status of the battery, range and general vehicle info.

The bodywork has been resculpted for less drag, the result being a 13-percent improvement in aerodynamics and a decrease in coefficient of drag from .36 to .31. It's been done through tweaks like the perforated (Fiat calls it "dot matrix") front fascia and side sills, resculpted mirror caps and rear spoiler, bellypans under the car and 15-inch wheels with flush faces.

That's to make easier work for the 111-horsepower electric-drive motor with 147 pound-feet of torque and its 24 kWh, all so that it can provide the estimated range of "more than 80 miles" on the 15-inch Firehawk GT low-rolling resistance tires. Fiat says that city driving "typically" yields "greater than 100 miles." The rating is an "estimated 116 miles per gallon" and charging time on a 240-volt outlet is less than four hours. An iPhone and Android smartphone app keeps owners remotely notified of electric-car tidbits, and the TomTom navigation system can provide EV-friendly routes.

Settle in and check out absolutely all the details in the encyclopedic press release below, take a gander at it in the high-res gallery above, and stay tuned for our impression from the LA Auto Show floor.

Continue reading 2013 Fiat 500e finally ready to rock down to Electric Orange Avenue

2013 Fiat 500e finally ready to rock down to Electric Orange Avenue originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Nov 2012 00:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fiat releases first 500e images ahead of LA spotlight

Steven J. Ewing — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 00:01:00 EST

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Hatchback, Electric, Fiat

Fiat won't officially pull the wraps off of its all-electric 500e until the Los Angeles Auto Show later this month, but we now have a pair of official images that show the little orange shocker both inside and out.

All of the details surrounding the new 500e are still under embargo until the debut, and as of this writing, Chrysler will only confirm that the car will go on sale in California sometime in 2013. The automaker will also show the car this weekend at the American Music Awards on the "green carpet" this Sunday, November 18.

From what we can see in these photos, the 500e doesn't look vastly different from other Fiat 500 models, save the redesigned lower front fascia (in contrasting white), lower side sills, aero underbody lip, and more wind-friendly wheels presumably wrapped in low rolling-resistance tires. Inside, the Fiat's cabin has been done up in a similar white-and-orange motif. Other changes to the interior include a redesigned gauge cluster and the addition of push-buttons where the normal gear shifter would be.

There has been a lot of buzz surrounding the 500e leading up to its launch, including reports stating that Chrysler is only making the car to appease the folks of California and that the company will lose something in the area of $10,000 on each EV it builds. We'll see how the little electron-eater fares when it launches next year.

Until then, sight tight - we'll have the full skinny on the 500e in the coming weeks. For now, scroll down to read Chrysler's very brief statement.

Continue reading Fiat releases first 500e images ahead of LA spotlight

Fiat releases first 500e images ahead of LA spotlight originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Nov 2012 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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eBay Find of the Day: Porsche-built 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E is the timewarp sleeper of our dreams

Zach Bowman — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 18:59:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Auctions, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Luxury

1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E - Click above for image gallery

In 1992, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche briefly entered into a love affair that would produce one very special offspring: the Mercedes-Benz 500E. The car was to become the godfather of all super sedans, packing a 5.0-liter V8 with a staggering (for the time) 322 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. Bolted to a four-speed automatic gearbox, the engine could scoot the big four-door to 60 mph in a mere 6.1 seconds. Something tells us that those power numbers were a little conservative. But where does Porsche come in to this dance?

Germany's sportscar manufacturer was responsible for working the sheetmetal of the 500E into the shape you see above. Those healthy fender arches were all massaged into place by the gurus at Porsche before the body was shipped off to Mercedes-Benz for paint and final assembly. Once done, the whole kit and caboodle was shipped back to Porsche for final inspection. Needless to say, this was an incredibly limited production vehicle, with the two companies only creating around 500 examples per year.

This particular car has a grand total of 587 miles on the clock, having spent the fair majority of its years tucked away in a museum. Bidding is at $35,200 with the reserve not met and less than 8 hours to go as of writing. Follow the jump for jazz-tastic video walk around and check out pics in the gallery below.

Gallery: 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E

[Source: eBay Motors]

Continue reading eBay Find of the Day: Porsche-built 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E is the timewarp sleeper of our dreams

eBay Find of the Day: Porsche-built 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E is the timewarp sleeper of our dreams originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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