The new urban mobility by Fiat
When thinking about trendsetters in the automotive industry, the first brand that comes to mind is Tesla. They pioneered the modern electric vehicle and accelerated the speed at which other manufacturers brought their electric vehicles to market significantly. While many car brands are trying to become the new Tesla, Fiat is trying out another way.
Many new cars, especially EVs, are bigger than ever. Opposing this trend, Fiat recently announced the Topolino: a microcar that is only 2,5m long. This car is supposed to be the solution for urban mobility. It offers more space than a scooter, can be driven in the rain, but is very easy to park and will fit through the narrowest Italian lanes. While the range is limited to 75 km, your top speed is 45 km/h, and the charging speeds are not overwhelming, this does not matter for this kind of vehicle. You will not drive for long in the Topolino. This car is made for those days when you need to get to four different shops, get a parcel from the post office and in the afternoon stop at a friend’s house for a cappuccino. With the Topolino, you will have no problems finding a parking space, so you can park close to all the shops you need to go to.
The design of the Topolino is modern and retro at the same time. Image: Fiat.com
Interestingly, Fiat is offering a version without a proper door as well. In this model, you can simply park in front of the door and jump out of the car. If you are finished with this stop, just step into the car and go again. Thanks to the small wheelbase, the turn radius will be minuscule, and in combination with the electric propulsion, you will whizz around the city with ease.
This car might not be for everyone, but for those who do not need much of a vehicle but sometimes wish for an upgrade over, e.g. their bike, this is brilliant. As this car is homologated as a quadricycle, you are allowed to drive it starting from the age of 15 years.
Besides the radically different concept, the design opposes the current trend. While other manufacturers try to make their cars look as futuristic and digital as possible, Fiat is leaning on its heritage. The Topolino has a lot of design elements from models from the past. The name already gives a hint about what model the designers took their inspiration from:
Topolino (Micky Mouse) was the nickname of the very first Fiat Cinquecento. Like with the current Generation Fiat 500 and 500e, the Topolino manages to look modern and retro at the same time. The lights are made from modern LEDs but placed in a round frame that might have been on the Cinquecento many years ago. And there are many other details like this.
At the moment, the Topolino is only available in a shade of mint green with a black roof. There might be some other colours in the future, but one will surely be missing: grey. This is due to another recent announcement from the brand. They will not build any grey vehicles any more. In a funny video, the CEO of Fiat explains that Italian values like joy, optimism, love and passion are not at all reflected by the colour grey and therefore, there will not be any grey vehicles made by Fiat any more. Another bold move that opposes what other companies are doing currently.
Fiat probably has not solved urban mobility by making fun, colourful cars. But a city with a lot of silent, small and beautiful cars whizzing around might be a lot more appealing than the mix of heavy and uninspiring SUVs that is currently filling up the streets of our cities.