Whether we like it more or less, the reality is that the electric car will break into the sports car segment with increasing vehemence. This is demonstrated by the new Abarth 500e, the 100% electric variant of the Italian utility that says goodbye to the gasoline engine to become a hot hatchback labeled ZERO. Your credentials? 154 hp from an electric motora sound synthesizer that emulates the melody of the Record Monza, a spicier aesthetic than that of the Fiat 500e and that does not immediately replace the Abarth combustion range.
And it is that, for the moment, the scorpion firm wants both the gasoline and electric range to coexist, even if this implies having two different generations of the 500 active. Because although the presence of the new Abarth 500e is a declaration of intent by the brand, For now, his letter continues to offer the 595 and 695 that we all know.
Electric scorpion sting for the new Abarth 500e
Be that as it may, today the protagonist is the 500e, that has enough crumb compared to the Fiat 500e. Starting with aesthetics alone, we find a front where, in addition to the Abarth scorpion being present, a more abrupt defense is established by the hand of a splitter designed to improve aerodynamics.
The side shows off new wedge wheels that serve as a prelude to a rear in which we find a spoiler and a new, more aggressive diffuser as protagonists. The same dose of change receives the passenger compartment of the first electric Abarth, where they attract attention some bucket seatsa three-spoke steering wheel flattened at the bottom and finished in suede leather together with a matching dashboard.
As for mechanics, the scorpion firm has equipped the new 500e with a 100% electric motor producing 154 hp and 235 Nm of torque. These figures allow a 0 to 100 in 7 seconds and, depending on the brand, allow the electric variant to be more than a second faster than the Abarth 695 on the Misto Alfa track in Balocco. To all this we must add a sound synthesizer that aims to emulate the soundtrack of the combustion Abarth and its Record Monza exhaust.
Be that as it may, their food is at the expense of a 42 kWh capacity battery, and which can recover 80% in 35 minutes if we use 85 kW chargers, the maximum power it supports. However, the Italian brand has not yet revealed the data on autonomy, although it is expected to be less than the 322 kilometers declared by the Fiat 500e given the increase in power experienced by the Abarth, although this can be managed according to the mode of driving in which we circulate.
Specifically, the new Abarth 500e offers three driving modes: Sightseeing, Scorpion Street and Scorpion Track. In the first, the power is limited to 100 kW -134 CV- and 220 Nm of torque in search of improving efficiency and inviting the driver to carry out more calm driving and thus ensure consumption and autonomy; in the second mode, Scorpion Street, it offers its full performance and increases regenerative braking, allowing us to drive with just one pedal; and the last mode, the so-called Scorpion Track, unleashes the full potential of the Abarth 500e, although the brand has limited itself to saying about it that “it is designed for those who want the maximum in performance”.
But what about the price? For now, Abarth has announced that a launch edition equipped to the brim is available and is called the Abarth 500e Scorpionissima. We are talking about a variant that does not change in performance compared to the standard 500e but has all the available equipment and is limited to 1,949 units. Yes indeed, it will be necessary to pay a total of 43,000 eurosand orders will not open until early 2023.
