Fiat’s all-electric Topolino, priced at $15,000 and limited to 25 mph, is a real street-legal microcar now sold in the U.S. Despite its modest 46-mile range and mint-green-only color option, demand has exceeded expectations, with 30% of dealers signed up after an initial shipment of 300 units. The vehicle comes in two variants: one with doors, heater, and glass sunroof, and the 'Dolce Vita' model featuring rope doors and a rollable soft-top. Tested in Ann Arbor, Mich., the Topolino drew constant attention—from luxury sedan drivers questioning its legitimacy to passersby snapping photos.
While its open-air cabin offered a sense of freedom and 'la dolce vita' on low-speed streets, the driver experienced guilt and self-consciousness when impeding faster traffic on 35 mph roads. Classified as a low-speed vehicle under federal regulations since the 1990s, it requires basic safety gear but lacks airbags and structural crash testing. Fiat’s U.S. brand head, Andrew Waterhouse, emphasized the Topolino doesn’t compete with other models in their lineup, targeting instead two-car households seeking a slow, urban runabout.
Source: Wall Street Journal US Business · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing