Abarth keeps roaring electrically

He’s been quiet about Abarth for a long time lately. The brand, which has a scorpion in its logo, had nothing new to report, except for a few special models. Definitely not Abarth’s fault. The sports girl is addicted to her mother Fiat. And if nothing new comes from there…

But for the past two years, the electric Fiat 500e has been touring our cities with great success. And now Abarth is doing the same, adding a good shovel to the electric Cinquecento. A 118 hp (87 kW) Fiat electric motor replaces the Abarth with a 155 hp (115 kW) electric motor. It sends a maximum torque of 235 Nm to the front wheels. This will accelerate the 500e faster than previous Abarth models. It accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in seven seconds and has a top speed of 160 km/h.

Abarth keeps playing

As Fiat and Abarth CEO Olivier François explained, the brand is also following the spirit of company founder Carlo Abarth with the electric model: “At Abarth we want to achieve the best driving performance with every change. It’s about better acceleration, better handling and more fun.» And François immediately recalls another trademark of Fiat’s sports subsidiary: “Then there is the legendary signature of Abarth – the sound!”

The Abarth 595 and 695 internal combustion engine models can be heard from afar with their powerful, powerful sound, leading us to believe that a grown-up sports car is just around the corner. A sound generator must also allow the scorpion brand to continue to roar electrically. We wonder if he remains so intrusive. The bottom line: Unlike the combustion engine Abarths, the sound in the Stromer can also be turned off if desired.

limits of 500e

The Abarth Stromer isn’t all that sporty when it comes to charging speed. It charges a maximum of 85 kilowatts of electricity and takes 35 minutes to charge the relatively small 42 kilowatt hour (kWh) battery to 80 percent. Abarth states the range as 250 kilometers. Standard consumption is 18.0 kWh per 100 kilometers.

Abarth 500e is separated from its tamer brother with visually modified front bumper, modified side skirts, rear diffuser insert and special alloy wheels and mirror caps. Also available as a convertible on request. The starter edition Scorpionissima is limited to 1949 vehicles to commemorate the year Abarth was founded. It comes in Acid Green or Poison Blue finishes. Among other things, it has 18-inch alloy wheels, a navigation system, heated Alcantara sports seats, digital instruments and keyless entry and various assistance systems.

The new Abarth 500e will be launched in Switzerland next July. Prices are fixed neither for the Scorpionissima nor the regular 500e. We anticipate a starting price of around CHF 40,000.