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To be frank, Americans don’t buy Fiats. The brand sold only a few hundred cars in the US last year. But Fiat hopes to – finally – charm the US with the “immersive Italian experience” of its upcoming Fiat 500e – Stellantis’s first all-electric car in the US. Unlike many of those hulking SUVs we’re seeing, this sweet retro-styled city car is one of the lightest and cheapest EVs on the market. To set la dolce vita vibes, the car even comes with its own theme music.

But for the record, Fiat had a truly terrible year in 2023, selling practically no cars in the US – a grand total of 605 cars. It sold so few cars in the US that it is now discontinuing the few models it had on offer and going on all in on the 500e, according to a report in Jalopnik.

Already available in Europe, the 2024 500e EV, available for order, will go on sale in the US in the initial RED trim the first quarter of this year. It starts at a reasonable $32,500 plus a $1,595 destination fee, although it’s not eligible for the $7,500 federal tax credit. The 2024 version is made in the Mirafiori factory in Turin, Italy, compared to the 2019 built in Mexico.

The new 500e keeps the cute, retro style of the previous generation but refreshes and modernized the exterior and interior. The two-door hatchback comes powered by a 118-hp electric motor for a 149-mile range – not amazing but good enough for most trips and daily use. The battery comes with DC charging at up to 85 kW, which adds enough juice for 31 extra miles of range in just five minutes, according to Fiat. Weight-wise, Fiat calls its EV the “lightest passenger BEV in the market” at just over 3,000 pounds (1,361 kg).

Fiat 500e/Source: Stellantis

Inside, the car has a less plasticky look than the earlier version and a 10.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with the Uconnect 5 software interface.

But it truly sets the mood, Italian-style, with its Acoustic Vehicle Alert System. The low-speed audio warning, which is standard in EVs, plays an Italian classical tune dubbed “The sound of 500,” written by Flavio Ibba and Marco Gualdi. The idea, says Fiat, is to create Italian vibes every time you step into the car.

Electrek’s Take

Fiat has been around in North America for more than a hundred years, but things never really took off in the states. While a bestseller in Europe, lackluster sales in the US fueled a difficult, on-again/off-again relationship. Fiat brought its 500 to the US in 2011 (which was discontinued in 2019), and the 500e EV to California in 2013. A new 500 came to Europe in 2022, with no news on American sales until late 2022, when the brand announced its 2024 500e would arrive in the states.

Even in Europe, Fiat had a rough year too, producing 77,000 500e cars against the more than 90,000 forecast at the beginning of 2023, according to Automotive News Europe. Of course, its home turf of Italy has some of the lowest EV adoption rates in Europe, at just 4% of the market.

Plus the 500e too has plenty of competition from other EVs with a lot more space and longer driving ranges. Still, despite this, the brand is betting that it can win over some customers with its awesome design and Italian charm. And honestly, this is exactly the kind of car that any city dweller or suburbanite would need for quick trips and short day trips. It’s small, affordable, and the perfect antidote to the SUV and truck bloat we’re seeing coming out this year. Perhaps too, as a longtime resident in Europe, I have long had a soft spot for the brand, but this type of vehicle makes a ton of sense for a lot of people: zero emissions, easy to park, and is less of a hazard to pedestrians and cyclists.


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Isuzu’s first electric pickup is here and it’s a beast: Meet the new D-MAX EV

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Isuzu's first electric pickup is here and it's a beast: Meet the new D-MAX EV

A fully electric Isuzu pickup truck? That’s right. The D-MAX EV is Isuzu’s first electric pickup, and it will be rolling in the next few months. After kicking off mass production, Isuzu said the new EV pickup will “match the performance of existing diesel models,” boasting high towing capacity and payload.

Isuzu’s first electric pickup is launching in 2025

Isuzu announced on Tuesday that the D-MAX EV has officially entered mass production. The company has started building left-hand drive models, which will be shipped to Europe in the third quarter of 2025.

By the end of the year, production of right-hand drive models will begin for the UK, with sales expected to start in 2026.

The electric pickup is nearly identical to Isuzu’s popular gas-powered D-MAX, but swaps the diesel powertrain for a pair of electric motors. The D-MAX EV features new e-Axles, one on the front and the other at the rear, for a full-time 4WD system.

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The dual-motor powertrain enables it to match the performance of existing diesel models, with a combined 188 hp (140 kW) and a maximum torque of 240 lb-ft (325 Nm).

It can also tow over 7,700 lbs (3,500 kg) with a maximum payload of over 2,200 lbs (1,010 kg). That’s about the same as the D-MAX diesel, which has a 3,500 kg towing capacity and a payload capacity of up to 1,200 kg.

Powered by a 66.9 kWh battery, Isuzu’s first electric pickup boasts a driving range of up to 263 km (162 miles) on the WLTP. In the city, it can have a driving range of up to 224 miles (361 km).

Isuzu D-Max EV specs
Drive System Full-time 4×4
Battery Type Lithium-ion
Battery Capacity 66.9 kWh
Max Output 130 kW (174 hp)
Max Torque 325 Nm
Max Speed Over 130 km/h (+80 mph)
Max Payload 1,000 kg (+2,200 lbs)
Max Towing Capacity 3.5t (+7,700 lbs)
Isuzu D-Max EV electric pickup specs

Built for on and off-road performance, the rugged electric pickup features over 8″ (210 mm) of ground clearance with a wading depth of nearly 24″ (600 mm).

Although prices have not been announced, the D-MAX EV is expected to start slightly higher than the diesel model, which has a base price of around € 36,500 ($41,600).

Isuzu’s popular D-MAX is sold in over 100 countries, including Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Central and South America. The electric version will arrive in Europe in the next few months, followed by the UK and other regions in 2026.

The electric D-MAX will compete with the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, and other electric pickups, such as Geely’s Radar R6, BYD’s Shark, and Ford’s F-150 Lightning.

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Tesla insider buys stock for the first time in years and it’s hilarious

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Tesla insider buys stock for the first time in years and it's hilarious

For the first time in five years, a Tesla insider required to report Tesla stock transactions bought stocks rather than selling them.

But the transaction is so small that it makes the whole situation hilarious.

Insiders in public companies are top executives and board members who are required to report to the SEC any transaction related to the company’s stock.

For Tesla, it has become a running joke that insiders only sell, never buy the stock.

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This has been true without exception for years.

We don’t know as much about executives as Tesla has a very short top executive bench who are required to file transactions. However, when it comes to its board members, they have been selling at an impressive rate.

We recently reported on Kimball Musk, Elon’s brother, and Tesla’s Chief Financial Officer Taneja Vaibhav recently selling ahead of a recent drop in the company’s stock price.

Tesla’s chairwoman, Robyn Denholm, also sold $33 million worth of Tesla shares in February and over $100 million in the 3 months prior.

However, we now have confirmation that a Tesla board member is buying, rather than selling.

Joe Gebbia, the Airbnb co-founder who joined Tesla’s board in 2022, confirmed that he bought 4,000 shares in Tesla last week worth about $1 million:

Electrek’s Take

Gebbia is estimated to be worth over $7 billion. Therefore, his purchase of $1 million worth of Tesla stock would be equivalent to my buying a fractional share in Tesla.

Furthermore, the disclosure confirmed that despite being on the board for the last 3 years, Gebbia owned only 111 shares in Tesla before the transaction.

That’s quite the show of confidence in Tesla.

Thie whole situation with the board is disappointing. Tesla’s core business is melting. The company reported its worst quarter in years last week, and the stock surged 20%.

None of it makes any sense.

The board is sitting on its hands while the most powerful force accelerating the advent of electric transport is being destroyed in favor of nonsensical predictions about the potential of solving self-driving and humanoid robots.

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Venmo revenue grows 20%, with debit card payment volume soaring

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Venmo revenue grows 20%, with debit card payment volume soaring

Justin Sullivan | Getty Images

Venmo, long a centerpiece of PayPal‘s growth story but often criticized for its lack of monetization, is becoming a bigger contributor to the business.

PayPal said Tuesday in its first-quarter earnings release that revenue at Venmo increased 20% year-over-year in the first quarter, though the company didn’t provide a dollar figure. PayPal acquired Venmo in 2013 through the acquisition of parent company Braintree.

While it’s long been a popular consumer service for sending money to friends, Venmo’s ability to drive meaningful revenue has been a major question mark for investors, especially as competition from rivals like Zelle and Square Cash has intensified.

Venmo’s total payment volume rose 10% from a year earlier, but revenue grew twice as fast, reflecting the business opportunity. Venmo only gets revenue from specific products like Pay with Venmo at online checkout, Venmo debit cards, and instant transfers, but not from peer-to-peer payments.

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Ahead of the earnings report, Jefferies analysts noted that Venmo revenue growth appeared to be “accelerating sharply” and flagged its rising contribution to branded checkout as a key area to watch. Compass Point analysts similarly said that while competition from Zelle and Square Cash remains fierce, Venmo’s traction with debit cards and online checkout could “open up new monetization avenues” if adoption trends continue.

The company added nearly 2 million first-time PayPal and Venmo debit card users during the quarter, and total debit card payment volume across PayPal and Venmo climbed more than 60%. Meanwhile, Pay with Venmo transaction volume surged 50% year over year, and Venmo debit card monthly active users grew about 40%.

PayPal reported better-than-expected earnings for the quarter but missed on revenue. The company reaffirmed its full-year guidance, citing macroeconomic uncertainty.

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