2013 Fiat 500 Sport on 2040-cars

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Fiat Chrysler posts $690M Q1 loss

If there is one thing that should be remembered when looking at quarterly and annual earnings, it's that the headline numbers rarely tell the whole story when it comes to an automaker's health. Chrysler's first-quarter earnings are just such an example.
Yes, the Auburn Hills-based manufacturer lost $690 million, which is quite a large sum of money. The reasons for the loss, according to Chrysler, were "Unfavorable infrequent items," which includes a $504 million payment to rid itself of the debts it took on for prepaying the UAW's VEBA healthcare trust. Chrysler was also hit with a $672 million charge to the UAW, which was part of a deal that allowed Fiat to purchase the remaining shares of Chrysler owned by the VEBA.
Ignoring those one-time deals, the first quarter was quite a successful one for Chrysler. It would have made $486 million if you erased the merger costs, which would have been a year-over-year increase of $320 million. Even more promising is the fact that Chrysler snagged the largest increase in market share of any automaker during Q1 at 1.1 percent, bringing its overall share to 12.7 percent of the US market. Chrysler saw a 30-percent improvement in sales of trucks and SUVs, along with an 11-percent increase in year-over-year sales and a 23-percent increase in revenue, to $19 billion.

Fiat seeking autonomous partnerships with Uber and Amazon

If Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne can't find another automaker to partner with, he'll have to look elsewhere. Like, outside the traditional automotive industry entirely, if recent reports are to be believed. According to Bloomberg and Business Insider, Fiat is pursuing relationships with Uber and Amazon for self-driving vehicles. This news comes shortly after FCA announced an official tie-up with Google to turn 100 Chrysler Pacifica minivans into autonomobiles. Uber might want to venture into self-driven vehicles for its ride-hailing service, cutting out the expense of human drivers. For its part, Amazon could use autonomous vehicles for deliveries from its online shopping destinations. FCA's interest in these endeavors seems to revolve around their vehicles being used as platforms for software and bespoke hardware setups created by the tech companies. There's no indication of what vehicles FCA would provide to either Uber or Amazon, but something minivan shaped could capably serve both the ride-sharing and package delivery service industries. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: Bloomberg, Business InsiderImage Credit: Jeff Kowalsky/Bloomberg via Getty Green Chrysler Fiat Transportation Alternatives Technology Emerging Technologies Autonomous Vehicles Uber Sergio Marchionne FCA Amazon

2023 Fiat 500e First Drive Review: A European preview

TURIN, Italy – AmericaÂ’s relationship with the Fiat 500 has been rocky at best. Skimming over the original, pre-war model, the second-generation 500 (the one with a rear-mounted engine) was briefly sold here with funky headlights that stuck out from the front end like a bugÂ’s eyes. Small and underpowered, though a tremendous amount of fun to drive in its own way, it didnÂ’t catch on and moseyed out of our market after a few short years. The third-generation 500 spearheaded FiatÂ’s return to the United States when it disembarked here in 2012. It sold as well as you can expect a European-flavored subcompact hatchback to sell in the Ford F-150Â’s bastion and bowed out in 2019, though itÂ’s still sold across the pond alongside its intended successor. That would be the fourth-generation 500, unveiled in 2020, which kept the retro design but went electric-only. Sales in the United States are scheduled to start in early 2024, meaning the cheeky hatchback will be about four years old by the time it turns a wheel on American pavement. Is it worth the wait? I traveled to FiatÂ’s home town of Turin in northern Italy to get a better idea of what makes this fun-sized EV buzz. ThereÂ’s one point I need to address right off the bat: what you see in our gallery isnÂ’t exactly what youÂ’ll get when the new 500 rolls into American showrooms with an “e” attached to the end of its name. Fiat hasnÂ’t detailed the American-market model yet, but itÂ’s reasonable to assume most of the changes will be found on the specifications sheet and on the list of standard and optional equipment. Fiat canÂ’t take a European-market car and ship it here unchanged, but IÂ’m not expecting significant updates to the exterior or interior design — nothing suggests it will morph into an outdoorsy four-door crossover. Speaking of design, itÂ’s been the 500Â’s main selling point since the last-generation model made its debut in 2007 so FiatÂ’s edits were pretty light. IÂ’d guess someone who isnÂ’t up to date with whatÂ’s happening on car planet might not realize that theyÂ’re looking at a new 500, and thatÂ’s intentional. Still unabashedly retro, the model stands out from its predecessor with a new-look front end that features two-piece LED headlights and a big “500” emblem, bright beltline trim and a more chiseled hatch.