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Fiat knows its lane. “We don’t do big cars, we don’t do expensive cars, we don’t do luxury cars,” Fiat CEO Olivier Francois told the Wall Street Journal. “We do small.” True to its mantra, the Italian automaker just launched the Topolino in the U.S. market for a whopping $13,995.
The EV weighs about 1,000 pounds, tops out at 25 mph, has no air conditioning and offers an option to replace doors with ropes. Oh, and it can travel up to 46 miles on a full charge.
Like Slate Auto, a Jeff Bezos-backed startup launching a $25,000 EV pickup with hand-crank windows later this year, Fiat is betting Americans want their vehicles simpler and cheaper. But Fiat is going even further, positioning the Topolino not as a car replacement but as an alternative to the upscale golf carts already popular in beach towns, resorts and gated communities.