Fiat 500e Production to Pause for One Month Due to Slow Sales
Carmaker Stellantis said Thursday it would halt production of the electric Fiat 500e in Italy due to weak demand, a move that comes as EV sales have slowed in Europe and abroad.
Growth in electric vehicles has stalled in many European countries, in part due to expiration of government incentives.
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"This measure is necessary due to a current lack of orders," said Stellantis in a statement.
The carmaker added it was investing 100 million euros to give the compact model a stronger battery and boost production capacity at the Fiat Mirafiori factory outside Turin.
The current Fiat 500e offers a WLTP-estimated range of up to 320 km (227 km in Canada).
Europe intends to end sales of new fossil fuel-powered cars in 2035 but uptake of battery-electric vehicles has been hobbled by their high prices and limited range.
Government incentives have helped temporarily boost sales while in the longer term new cheaper and more powerful batteries could expand uptake.
