FIVETRIALSElectricFiat500CCW

driving
PHOTOTGRAPHY Richard Gunn
this week p2-10 out & about p20-24 living with classics p26-32 buying & selling p34-73
FIVE CLASSIC TRIALS Electric Fiat 500
500 is extremely quick
off the mark, with
shocking torque in first.
N
o need to do the gothic make-up and
sullen expression, but it’s impossible
not to find yourself singing one song
while driving this truly extraordinary
classic Fiat 500. Gary Numan’s Are Friends
Electric? will boom out over a cabin filled, not
with the primal scream of a thrashed 499cc
flat-twin, but an almost silent and ghostly, yet
surpringly sporty thrum – a mixture of Porsche
911 echoing from the bottom of a canyon and a
London Trolleybus, last in service circa. 1962.
This little Fiat, which left the factory in 1965,
will now happily reach 70mph and hit 60mph
from rest in about seven and a half seconds. It
would see off anything at the lights. Maximum
torque is reached as soon as you press the throttle.
Can this all be true, or are we merely together in
electric dreams?
Well, more electric reality because here we are
in a classic Fiat 500 with three Tesla batteries
powering an AC20 electric motor whisking us
along. And my goodness does this car whisk!
What makes it all the more confusing is that
this car looks like a standard 53-year-old 500 in
a lovely period hue and a shape that would surely
make even the famously dour Mr Numan break
out in a big toothy grin.
Inside you’d have to look extremely closely to
spot anything much removed from the norm.
A standard-looking dashboard and a meagre
line-up of switches are just about all there is. The
seats are standard and, as usual, ten times more
comfortable than they look. There’s a lovely cream
steering wheel, a gearstick, brakes, clutch and
accelerator – ie. things you would expect to find
in a regular Fiat 500. The only thing that looks
different is a gauge showing how much electrical
power is left.
Well, let’s go, bambino. Ah, there’s no need to
fiddle between the front seats to find the choke
and starter levers. In fact, that spot now houses
a switch for the heater. Just turn the key and
put the car into second gear; going for first isn’t
recommended because there’s too much torque,
though we did – briefly – and we can report that it
was one heck of a shock!
Obviously, there’s no joyous engine clatter – just
virtual silence as you press the throttle feeling the
sort of trepidation you’d experience in a Ferrari on
an oil slick.
In all honesty, this electric baby works best as a
town car, and it’s wise to stick to second for urban
driving, third on more open roads and fourth for
cruising, changing up to this using the clutch.
Good grief, this thing really does shift, with
an instant smack of 47bhp from standstill. The
driveshafts and uprated rear coil suspension
mean that the handling, already great on these
cars, is excellent.
A few minutes later, all falls into place, though
we do need to stop, and there’s no relying on
engine braking because it has regenerative
braking from the electric motor. The uprated
brakes, with discs and a larger master cylinder,
are astonishingly good and bring the tiny beast to
a smooth, controlled stop.
This is quite a driving experience. Once you’ve
resisted all temptation to try to double-declutch,
traditional 500-style, you are seriously hooked,
though you’ll likely miss the traditional Orchestra
of Fiat 500 sound performances.
That’s a price we’d be prepared to pay, though…
Motor shares its home with a trio of Tesla batteries. Uprated handing useful for coping with extra power – this is a Fiat 500 capable of 70mph. It takes a keen eye to spot the differences between this electric 500 and a standard one.
A 1965 Fiat 500 capable of 0-60mph in about seven seconds that never touches a drop
of fuel? Nick Larkin tries a cult classic converted to electric power
FIVE
TRIALs
We enjoy the
electric Fiat 500
and put it fully
to the test
1 DAILY DRIVING
An electric Fiat 500 would be great in town,
with lots of acceleration, good handling and a
tiny torso to whisk you through those narrow
gaps. This, combined with low maintenance,
makes for an extremely practical city car.
You will need to charge the car every 50 to 75
miles however, but the charger will work via a
normal 13A socket. You would then have to get
your brain into gear and plan your motoring
distances, making sure that you don’t leave
the car with minimal charge in it in moments
of extreme idleness. You can also use those
electrical charging points now found in many
town and city centres.
2 IN THE SERVICE BAY
You haven’t actually got a lot to do, really,
apart from keeping everything clean and those
batteries charged, which takes about 7.5 hours
with a 1.5kw charger or around four using an
optional 2.5kw unit. The batteries don’t need
topping up with acid or distilled water and will
certainly have a long-term service life. All the
parts fitted to the car are what might be called
proprietary items, so spares shouldn’t be a
problem. Otherwise you’ll just need to check
periodically for brake and tyre wear and maybe
bodywork in the long term. The gearbox is a
standard item and spares are available. At least
you won’t need to change the oil or spark plugs.
3 ON THE SHOW CIRCUIT
Surely one of these cars would go down an
absolute storm at any classic show? Just
imagine the effect it would have on a road run if
you (safely) executed a fast standing start. The
technology of these cars is utterly fascinating,
and there can’t be many traditional classic
owners who wouldn’t love to see your car’s
batteries, and, of course electric motor! The
sight of an original Fiat 500 would make just
about anyone smile, particularly if it’s in a fun
colour. Some die-hard traditionalists might not
approve, but on the whole we think that you’d
be inundated with people wanting to try the car
out for themselves.
4 THE LONG WEEKEND
This is one area where the little Fiat doesn’t
exactly excel. Firstly, the engine compartment
is full of motor and batteries, plus a battery in
the front luggage compartment where the spare
wheel once was. The petrol tank has been made
redundant, of course, so there is room for a bag
or two, but there’s not really capacity for your
finest Louis Vuitton luggage and fishing rods
–these would have to go on the back seat. There
might be problems finding charging places too,
and I’m not sure whether your guest house
landlady would take kindly to a flex dangling out
of your bedroom window to the car. At least the
cost of ‘fuel’ for the trip would be minimal.
5 THE B-ROAD BLAST
This would be great fun, once the car is charged
and you are ready to, er, charge. This car’s
acceleration is amazing. Fiat 500s always did
handle surprisingly well and this one has lots of
power and uprated driveshafts, suspension and
brakes. There’s no need to grab that gearlever
for hasty upchanges, though, and you would
definitely miss all those engine noises. It does
feel like it would take any twisting or sharp
bends you wished to throw at it in its stride,
and what little body roll there was has been
tamed. Standing starts would certainly not be a
problem, either – we suspect you’d give drivers
of some bigger, more modern cars quite a shock.
Electric
timeline
1957
The Fiat Nuova
(or ‘new’) 500 is
launched to great
acclaim with a
479cc air-cooled
engine and just
13bhp. It remained
in production, with
various upgrades,
until 1975.
2017
London-based
Classic Chrome
Limited sells
an electricallyconverted
Porshe
911 and comes
up with the idea
of selling classic
electric vehicles.
An approach is
made to Electric
Classic Cars in
Wales and a
specification
worked out for the
prototype.
2018
The car is officially
launched with
two prototypes,
including the car
tested at Classic
Chrome’s premises
in Mortlake, South
West London,
on 17 February.
Fans include
comedienne
Jennifer Saunders
who tweeted how
wonderful the cars
were, after taking a
test drive.
Traditional speedo rubs shoulders with…
Engine AC 20 electric motor, three Tesla batteries POWER 47bhp
throughout the range TORQUE 70lb ft throughout the range
MAXIMUM SPEED 70mph 0-60mph Approx. 7.5sec
FUEL CONSUMPTION None! GEARBOX RWD, four-speed manual
THE CCW VIEW
These electric Fiats have so
much going for them – miniscule
running costs, environmental
friendliness, interesting mechanics
and wonderfully traditional looks
inside and out.
The parts are all tried, tested
and easy to get hold of. In town,
the 500s are first away from
the lights and delightfully easy
to drive, handling well. As well
as the electrical bits, these cars
really benefit from the other
improvements made.
But really this is a city car
as an alternative to a modern
equivalent, rather than an original
petrol-powered Nuova Fiat.
…bang up to date electric range meter.
No-one is pretending that these
£25,000 cars are a snip, but cost
running one over ten years and
the equation definitely works in
the Fiat’s favour.
The car won’t have depreciated
into oblivion either, especially if
you look after the bodywork. We
are told by the car’s vendors that
classic insurance shouldn’t be a
problem, either.
As more and more electric cars
hit the road, there will be far more
charging points around, and all
you need elsewhere is a 13-amp
plug socket. Most importantly
you’ll have a car that stands out
from the crowd.
ON THE WAYCurrently in build is an upgraded version of the electric
Fiat 500 with a 65hp motor and four Tesla batteries. Performance figures
and price TBA.
MANY THANKS to Classic Chrome of Mortlake, London, for the loan
of its electric Fiat 500 demonstrator. The cars are priced around £25,000
depending on specification. n 020 8876 8171 n classic-chrome.net
16 | classic car weekly Wednesday 27 June 2018 Wednesday 27 June 2018 classic car weekly | 17