EPA released official economy ratings for the new Fiat 500e electric car, and it gets some bold numbers to brag about. The 500e is rated at 108 MPGe highway, and offers an estimated driving range of 87 miles.
According to EPA calculations, the Fiat 500e has a 116-MPGe city/highway rating; its city-cycle rating is 122 MPGe. That is mainly thanks to the car’s 111 horsepower (83 kW) electric motor, which recharges in less than 4 hours with its Level 2 (240 volt) on-board charging module (OBCM).
Now, the term ‘MPGe’ might sound a bit confusing for some. So here’s an official explanation of it: MPGe is the EPA-devised measure for determining how many miles an EV can travel on a quantity of battery-generated electricity that has the same energy content as a gallon of gasoline.
Those are good numbers, but Fiat believes the biggest selling point for the 500e is not the electric drive and zero emissions, but the fact that it is the most stylish compact electric car on the market. It launches in second-quarter 2013.