2013 Fiat 500 Abarth on 2040-cars

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For some, getting a Fiat 500e last week was almost free

Auto-racing clubs know a thing or two about moving fast. And a couple of them out in California appeared to do just that when a bunch of incentives for the Fiat 500e electric vehicle added up to a pretty sweet deal. Actually, a borderline free one. Green Car Reports was kind enough to do the math on the calculation of an $83-a-month, three-year lease deal on that included a $2,100 perk and required an $11,000 downpayment on the $32,000 car. California and federal government incentives for EVs cut that downpayment down to $1,000 out of pocket once the incentives ($7,500 from the feds, $2,500 from the state) were factored in by the leasing company. Then, Fiat-Chrysler was throwing in another $1,000 for folks who were leasing a car from another car company, hence the freebie. That means some lucky people, at least temporarily, were able to work basically a zero-downpayment agreement for a three-year lease on a car whose monthly payment is the equivalent of about two full tanks of gas. Once word of those perks got around to some California racing clubs, about 100 500e vehicles to be moved off of California lots during the past week or so. Plugged in, indeed. Related Videos: Featured Gallery 2013 Fiat 500e: Review View 40 Photos News Source: Green Car Reports Green Chrysler Fiat incentives fiat 500e

Towing with the 2016 Ram lineup [w/video]

I do not tow things. Ever. Yet I recently found myself at the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles proving grounds in Chelsea, MI, where I'd be testing the hauling capabilities of Ram's current product range. This experience was not only a perfect education for a towing novice like me, but allowed me to tow far more weight than I'd ever consider hauling the real world, and all within the safe confines of the Chelsea Proving Grounds. There was an extremely diverse array of vehicles at my disposal, including Ram's gasoline- and diesel-powered offerings with trucks ranging from the 1500 on up through the 5500 Chassis Cab, as well ProMaster vans. Beyond that, FCA brought out a number of vintage Dodge pickups for me to play with, while also working with Case IH to provide a track-loader I could test. I put together a range of videos covering everything from the classics to the production trucks to the construction equipment. And despite some technical difficulties – you'll notice a distinct lack of in-car videos, with blame going to a corrupted micro SD card – I've assembled ten videos that give an up-close look at Ram's offerings. 2015 Ram ProMaster City Let's start small. The ProMaster City only has a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds. That's a reasonably impressive figure for a van that uses the same powertrain as a Chrysler 200. The 2.4-liter four-cylinder and nine-speed automatic weren't really bothered with the extra weight added by the trailer. Even when accelerating at freeway speeds, the ProMaster City didn't feel out of breath or hampered by its load. That said, the rear of the van was unloaded, which probably wouldn't be the case for most consumers. It's unclear how the City would feel if its driver were taking advantage of the max payload (1,883 pounds) and towing. 2015 Ram ProMaster 1500 To be polite, the Ram ProMaster is a difficult vehicle to like. Its awkward seating position is bus-like and lacks the visibility enjoyed by the Ford Transit or the utter driving comfort of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. Its 3.0-liter, four-cylinder turbodiesel engine, meanwhile, is something of an anomaly. While it's potent for a four-cylinder diesel, producing 295 pound-feet of torque and 174 horsepower, those numbers don't feel all that impressive when loaded down. The model I tested was barely using half of its 5,100-pound maximum towing weight and was loaded down with just 500 of its 3,620-pound payload. Yet it lacked the pluckiness of the smaller City.

Fiat 500X and 500L could be combined into 500XL for next generation

The Fiat 500L, classified as a subcompact minivan, has been on sale since 2012 in Europe, since 2014 in the U.S. Its subcompact crossover platform-mate, the 500X, went on sale in 2014 in Europe, replicating the same two-year delay in getting to the U.S. Neither has managed to make much of an impression in the U.S., but the 500X has done solid business globally, moving more than 455,000 units in Europe alone since going on sale and still putting up strong numbers deep into its first generation. The 500L, far from the prettiest offering in an unloved segment, has seen its European sales numbers decline from 94,114 in 2014 to 36,495 last year, but that's still not a shabby figure. AutoExpress figures the twins will roll out second-generation versions in about 18 months, but word from Fiat boss Olivier Francois suggests they could meld into a single 500XL model combining the best of their individual traits. What's more, the resulting vehicle is viewed as a prime candidate for electrification, Francois citing the roomy, high-riding 500L as "a particularly good body, high on wheels, to add batteries [to]." The 500X injects appeal into the equation, since Fiat needs to "think of the next generation with the same approach to the consumer that makes a lot of sense in an all-electric version, with a body that is obviously more relevant and in fashion. We’re thinking maybe a blend of the X and L is the way ahead, at the end of the day. But it is not for the near future – and when I say near, I mean not by the end of this year, for sure." Francois' mention of the 500L having a good body for full electrification begs the question of a second-generation platform. The new battery-electric 500e rides on a bespoke EV architecture that's so far only publicly planned to support other electric minicars like an electric Panda and the production version of the Centoventi EV concept. The Renegade has been electrified with a PHEV model, and it would make sense for that tech to cross the aisle into the Fiats — the Jeep is built in the same plant as the Italians, after all — but potentially being so close to a new generation, Fiat could opt to save money and go with one of its mild hybrid solutions for now. Considering what Fiat has on its to-do list over the next 18 months, however, from managing its own affairs post-coronavirus to completing the merger with PSA Group, anything is possible. All we can be sure of is that U.S.