Fiat has opened US orders for the Topolino, its tiniest electric vehicle, with a starting price of $13,995. Add the $990 destination charge, and the little two-seater comes to $14,985 before any other costs.
That price lands in a market where new cars are getting more expensive by the month. CarGurus said the average transaction price for a new vehicle was $50,900 this spring, up 3.3% since December, and Cox Automotive has said only 10 cars on US dealership lots start below $25,000. Against that backdrop, Fiat is asking buyers to look at something far smaller than the usual US road machine: a model that is less than 100 inches long, rides on circular headlights, weighs a little over 1,000 pounds and produces just 8 horsepower.
The Topolino has been on sale in Europe since 2023, but its US arrival is notable because Fiat’s current American lineup has only the 500e. By the end of June, the brand had sold 228 units to Americans this year, down 75% from last year, leaving it with little room for anything that might broaden its appeal. The Topolino also arrives with an estimated 46 miles of range and a top speed of 19 mph at launch, which makes it more of a short-hop vehicle than a conventional city car.
That limitation matters because the launch version is restricted to private property, so buyers can order it in the US now without getting a normal street vehicle in return. Fiat plans to offer a no-cost conversion kit this fall that would raise the top speed to 25 mph and make the Topolino street-legal as a low-speed vehicle, but the company has not given a specific date for when that kit will be ready. For now, the pitch is simple: a rare sub-$15,000 new EV for the US, even if the first version is only meant for private drives.
Donald Trump’s praise of Kei cars in December, after a trip to Japan, underscored how much attention small vehicles can draw when talk turns to affordability and size. Fiat appears to be aiming at the same curiosity, and it is even exploring a beach-style shower head accessory through a partnership with Motori & Customs. The bigger question is whether the Topolino’s tiny footprint and low price can matter in the US before its promised street-legal conversion arrives.
