Clean Green Cars: Detroit preview: Details emerge about the Fiat 500 EV, maybe

Detroit preview: Details emerge about the Fiat 500 EV, maybe

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Chrysler, Fiat, Detroit Auto Show

Fiat 500 - click above for high-res image gallery

For the first time in living memory, Chrysler/Fiat won’t be holding a press conference at the Detroit Auto Show, which starts next week, and hasn’t given any confirmation of what it will be showing. However, it has been strongly rumored that one of the few new vehicles on display will be an all-electric version of the Fiat 500.

The UK’s AutoExpress claims to have some inside information about the 500 EV, which may or may not be accurate. AutoExpress is claiming that the 500 EV will use a similar configuration to the Mini E with a battery pack consisting of 5,000 lithium ion cells. It would be surprising to see Fiat take such a backward step with the 500, considering the experience that Chrysler already had working with A123 Systems before the work of the ENVI group ground to a halt several months ago. The Dodge Circuit was running with A123’s new large format prismatic cells, for example. This approach would have made much more sense in the 500. We’ll just have to wait until Monday to find out for sure.

Gallery: Fiat 500