Fiat’s new Topolino EV is so cute I could scream

On Wednesday, Fiat breathed new life into the Topolino name with a teaser image for its next electric vehicle: a squat, retro quadricycle that features a convertible top and ropes in lieu of doors.

By the looks of it, the new Topolino is Fiat’s take on the Citroen Ami, yet it trades in the Ami’s blockiness and rather unsettling blank stare for gentler curves and a face that almost resembles a smile.

This EV doesn’t look like the original Fiat 500 “Topolino” (as Car and Driver points out, it instead seems like a nod to the 1970s 500F Jolly). Still, the new Topolino looks like it will do right by its name, which translates from Italian to “little mouse.”

Fiat gushed in a statement that the “Topolino brings a new notion of la dolce vita to the city streets.” But aside from sharing a teaser image and name, the company left us in the dark on the price and exact specs of the upcoming vehicle. 

For its part, the Ami’s top speed is around 28 mph with a 46-mile range. That seemingly makes the Topolino a non-starter for most of the U.S. That’s a pity, because the giant SUVs and trucks that dominate American roads today are worse for the climate and pedestrians alike. 

Fiat’s new Topolino EV is so cute I could scream by Harri Weber originally published on TechCrunch