America’s cheapest new EV is smaller than a ping-pong table and tops out at 19mph
When searching for an affordable electric vehicle these days, there are always tradeoffs. How much range are you willing to sacrifice, how much leg room and storage space, how many features, in the pursuit of that magic sticker price that won’t break the bank?
The Fiat Topolino is basically the ultimate embodiment of those tradeoffs. For the dirt cheap price of $13,995, you get a top speed of 19mph, an all-electric range of 46 miles, and a wheelbase that’s barely longer than one and a half king mattresses. In fact, the Topolino is less of a car and more of a micromobility vehicle.
Fiat isn’t trying to hide that fact. In it’s announcement this week about the Topolino’s arrival in the US, the Stellantis-owned automaker refers to the bite-sized EV as part of “the fast-growing micromobility space.” (It also cringingly calls the Topolino “a little piece of la dolce vita,” but that’s neither here nor there.) The 5.4kWh battery can be topped up in approximately five hours when plugged into a 2.3 kW AC charger.
In fact, the Topolino is less of a car and more of a micromobility vehicle
Indeed, the Topolino has more in common with an electric quadricycle or a golf cart than it does with a Tesla Model Y. But as we’ve seen with the recent launch of the Slate Truck and Amble One electric buggy, there’s plenty of activity swirling around smaller, more compact, and noticeably cheaper EVs — especially as high gas prices are making more people reconsider the trucks and SUVs sitting in their driveways.
Of course, the Topolino won’t be for everyone. As a restylized Citroën Ami, it’s designed primarily for short trips in an urban setting, as it’s not yet legal for highway driving. And if 19mph is too slow for you, a complimentary Low Speed Vehicle conversion kit will be available later this summer to increase the Topolino’s max speed to an eye-watering 25mph. Buckle up, baby. Or in the case of the versions without a real door, stay behind the braided rope.
Fiat is leaning into the golf cart comp, noting that many owners take their golf carts far beyond the course. To them, this reflects a pent up desire for smaller, slower, less burdensomely huge personal vehicles — but also not necessarily exposed to the elements like an electric bike.
Which is not to say there will be a stampede at the Fiat dealership to snatch one of these up. Small cars have not historically sold well in the US. Fiat started out promising, selling over 43,000 vehicles in 2012, its first full year in the US, according to CNBC. Those sales have all but disappeared, with the brand only logging 1,300 sales in 2025. The Fiat 500e, the company’s only slightly larger electric two-door, was leasing for $0 down and $0 a month in Colorado a few years ago. Demand for these types of cars isn’t what I would consider dependable.
But the buzz around Japanese kei trucks, for example, has others trying to triangulate whether small cars are just waiting to break out in the US. Even President Donald Trump couldn’t hide his enthusiasm, declaring them to be “really cute” and desiring to see them built in the US. A week after those comments, Fiat announced that the Topolino would be arriving in the states. (The automaker denied there was a link to Trump’s statement.)
The Topolino certainly has its tradeoffs, but it’s sheer cuteness could help it find a devoted audience. I could see this doing very well at a resort or an amusement park. Just don’t try taking any tight turns too fast.
