Fiat 500e Going All Electric

Fiat 500e Going All Electric

I love my current Fiat 500 Twinair (Whizy, play on registration number and it is nippy!!) but my husband Steve went fully electric 4 years ago and I knew that one day I would join him.

However the only electric car that I would even consider was the Fiat 500e, which was only released this year 2021.

I looked on the Fiat website once they were released and saw all the models in all the colours and decided that I wanted the Rose Gold colour.  However I also would have liked a light colour interior, but the Rose Gold only comes in 3 of the 4 models and has a dark coloured interior.

The only model with a light colour interior is the top of the range La Prima which has cream recycled plastic from the ocean, but looks and feels like leather, but it doesn’t come in Rose Gold.

You could order one online but I wanted to have a look at one in the flesh and to take it out for a test drive, just to make sure that it really would be what I would swap my current Fiat 500 for.

I contacted my local Fiat dealer (Vospers) and left my details with Jennifer the Sales Manager for Fiat and asked her to contact me as soon as they got one in the showrooms, and when Covid restrictions were lifted enabling you to go into a car showroom.

I had to wait a while but Jennifer phoned me as soon as one arrived in the showroom and an appointment was made for  the 27th April 2021.  Fiat were very clever and only the top of the range La Prima models were given to the dealers for potential customers to test drive.  If you wanted another model then you bought these “off plan”!!!

We took it out for a test drive and fell in love immediately which included Steve who thought it was a great little car.  It was a convertible which I wasn’t interested in and and also in the Ocean Green colour which I didn’t like but that made no difference it was super.

Steve is quite knowledgeable on electric cars and wanted to make sure that it was not style over substance, which it certainly was not and it drove extremely well.  So much so that after living locally most of my life (64 years) I forgot the way back to the dealership – honestly,  which meant I had to continue test driving it for just a little bit longer!!!

After a very short discussion the decision was made, well almost as now it was going to be the difficult bit.  What colour and what model.  I was adamant I would have liked one in Rose Gold, but Vospers (the Fiat dealer) did not have any swatches of all the colours to have a look at.

As we had test driven the La Prima and could not test drive any of the other models yet, did we go for the La Prima in another colour???   I did want to see the all the colours before I committed to buy so Jennifer said that she would try and get some swatches, which she said could be difficult as Fiat were not supplying these to the dealerships.

If you read my holiday blog I mentioned that on our way to Dorset we stopped off at Exeter to have a look at one in Celestial Blue one (the only other colour of the La Prima is a grey which I definitely did not want) they had in their showroom and liked it very much.  So at least we had seen one other colour.

However true to her word a couple of weeks later when we got back from holiday Jennifer phoned to say  that she now had some swatches for us to have a look at.  So it was down to Vospers ASAP to have a look and hopefully make up my mind which one it was going to be.

I did like the Rose Gold but only seeing a small sample of the colour, the dark interior was still an issue.  So after some more discussion I made a decision.  As we had test driven the La Prima and loved it, and seen the Celestial Blue colour which was the only colour I would consider in this model we placed an order for one.  I didn’t really want to take the risk of ordering a car that I had not seen or driven, so the top of the range La Prima it was going to be in Celestial Blue, with an added extra of a sliding opening sunroof.  My current Fiat 500 had one which I loved, and in my opinion an opening sunroof is better than a full convertible roof.

I paid the deposit and now it was just a matter of waiting for it to be built and arrive in the showroom which would likely be September time.

I now have plenty of time to think of a name, as I name all my cars, and this is where perhaps if you are reading this article I could do with some help, so any suggestions would be gratefully received and considered.

I have come up with a couple of names but need more help, but the one standing out at the moment is FABIO (and have put a word to each initial which I think is clever, although I say so myself, Fiat All Battery Irresistible One).  Obviously at this stage  I do not know what the registration number will be, so another play on that could be an option.  I have looked at celestial body names, as the colour is Celestial Blue and obviously a name suitable for a cute little Fiat 500e. I am unsure whether a male, female or a neutral name will be chosen but then again once it arrives it might name itself.  But if you have any ideas please contact me or leave your suggestion in the comments box, and thank you in anticipation.

I have posted this post on the 3rd July so watch this space as the time gets nearer and the excitement rises I will update with details and a photo as soon as it arrives and of course confirm it’s name.

UPDATE

21st July 2021.  I received a phonecall late this afternoon from Jennifer to give me an update on the progress of my car, before she goes on leave.  All excited now, as she said my car was in transit from Italy and making it’s way to the UK.  She said it will probably be about 3 – 4 weeks, but will update me further on her return from leave on the 4th August.   So it looks as if I will get it sooner than expected – can’t wait.  She did say that orders from other customers were no-where near as far on as mine,  so I am one of the lucky ones who doesn’t have to wait too long now.  I will do another update as soon as I hear from Jennifer when she gets back in the office.

I know that in September the number plate changes to “71” but I always said that I wanted a “21” plate, so it looks as if my wish will be granted.  I also hope that I get a choice of registration numbers as that could help name the car.  But then again to have the letters “KDF”  might be a wish too far, as I would then get a personalised number plate aswell!!!!  Too  much to wish for???????

If you are not familiar with the new Fiat 500e then watch this video review. This is the same colour as the one I have ordered.

Fiat 500e Going All Electric

Update (Friday) 13th September – lucky!!

Good news! Whizy has gone up in value.  Due to the shortage of secondhand cars on the market, I have been quoted nearly £1500 more than I was back in April 2021.  After checking online car buying sites and what Vospers would give me, for ease I decided to take Vospers’ offer.  I have never had an offer increased before, so makes the new one look a better deal.  To top it all Fiat have put up their prices and if I ordered the equivalent one now it would cost me £1500 more –  so a bargain!!!

Today I had contact from Jennifer to say that my car had arrived in the UK, and not only in the UK but in Devon at their Exeter branch so only about 40 minutes away.  She told me that it would be collected from Exeter one day next week to come down to Plymouth and then it would need pre delivery preparation which would take a few days so it would be ready for collection the week of the 23rd August.  Now as there would only be just over a week before the “71” plates come in (1st September) I decided to wait, as it would then really be brand new and not 6 months old.  So it was confirmed that I would collect it on the 6th September.

Jennifer also gave me a choice of about 20 registration numbers that I could choose from.  I have to be honest and say that I was a bit disappointed about the choice (no “KDF”) but eventually decided on one that contained “EV” which I thought was quite apt for an “electric vehicle”.  So it is WA71 EVX.   So as the number plate does not constitute to a name (apart from perhaps Evie, but lots of electric cars have this name, so I wanted to be a little more unique). Therefore  it looks like FABIO is the “chosen one”.

So only 24 sleeps to go and counting!!!