Fiat 500 electric car will rival Mini-E

The news that a MINI-E electric car has joined the government car pool for use by ministers on official business around London has been followed quickly by rumours that Fiat is to launch an electric version of its best-selling 500 model at next month’s Detroit Motor Show.

The MINI-E is one of a number of car manufacturers taking part in a year-long £25m trial to gauge how 340 ultra-low carbon vehicles perform in ‘real life’ conditions.

A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “An electric version of the 500 would be a logical next step for Fiat and would join a growing group of electric vehicles based on existing models.”

• Forty electric Minis will be leased to drivers living in Oxford and the Southeast for one year.
• In Glasgow, 40 battery-powered people carriers will be made available by Peugeot. Each car will be tracked using GPS to record the way it is used over the course of the year.
• Mercedes is testing 100 of its latest electric Smart cars in the west Midlands and in London.

• The trials will also feature a small number of electric sports cars including models from the Lightning car company, Westfield and Delta Motorsport.

electric cars on offer	Speed	Range	Charge time	Looks
Mini E	95mph	150 miles	12 hours
Lightning	130mph	180 miles	4.5 hours
Peugeot eExpert	70mph	100miles	tbc
Smart E Drive	60mph	50-70miles	8hours
Ford Focus EV	tbc	80miles	tbc