America’s cheapest new EV is smaller than a ping-pong table and tops out at 19mph
America’s cheapest new EV is smaller than a ping-pong table and tops out at 19mph
美国最便宜的新款电动车：比乒乓球桌还小，最高时速仅 19 英里
The Fiat Topolino may only cost $13,995, but you’re not really buying a car for that money. 菲亚特 Topolino 的售价仅为 13,995 美元，但你花这笔钱买到的并不是真正意义上的“汽车”。
When searching for an affordable electric vehicle these days, there are always tradeoffs. How much range are you willing to sacrifice, how much leg room and storage space, how many features, in the pursuit of that magic sticker price that won’t break the bank? 如今在寻找经济实惠的电动汽车时，总会有所取舍。为了追求那个不会让你破产的“神奇价格”，你愿意牺牲多少续航里程、腿部空间、储物空间以及配置功能呢？
The Fiat Topolino is basically the ultimate embodiment of those tradeoffs. For the dirt cheap price of $13,995, you get a top speed of 19mph, an all-electric range of 46 miles, and a wheelbase that’s barely longer than one and a half king mattresses. In fact, the Topolino is less of a car and more of a micromobility vehicle. 菲亚特 Topolino 基本上就是这些取舍的终极体现。以 13,995 美元的超低价格，你得到的是 19 英里/小时（约 30 公里/小时）的最高时速、46 英里（约 74 公里）的纯电续航，以及轴距仅比一张半特大号床垫长一点的车身。事实上，与其说 Topolino 是一辆汽车，不如说它更像是一款微型交通工具。
Fiat isn’t trying to hide that fact. In its announcement this week about the Topolino’s arrival in the US, the Stellantis-owned automaker refers to the bite-sized EV as part of “the fast-growing micromobility space.” (It also cringingly calls the Topolino “a little piece of la dolce vita,” but that’s neither here nor there.) The 5.4kWh battery can be topped up in approximately five hours when plugged into a 2.3 kW AC charger. 菲亚特并没有试图掩盖这一事实。在本周宣布 Topolino 进入美国市场的公告中，这家隶属于 Stellantis 集团的汽车制造商将这款小巧的电动车称为“快速增长的微型交通领域”的一部分。（它还令人尴尬地称 Topolino 为“甜蜜生活的一小部分”，但这并不重要。）其 5.4kWh 的电池在使用 2.3 kW 交流充电器充电时，大约需要五个小时即可充满。
Indeed, the Topolino has more in common with an electric quadricycle or a golf cart than it does with a Tesla Model Y. But as we’ve seen with the recent launch of the Slate Truck and Amble One electric buggy, there’s plenty of activity swirling around smaller, more compact, and noticeably cheaper EVs — especially as high gas prices are making more people reconsider the trucks and SUVs sitting in their driveways. 确实，Topolino 与电动四轮车或高尔夫球车的共同点，远多于它与特斯拉 Model Y 的共同点。但正如我们近期看到的 Slate Truck 和 Amble One 电动越野车的发布，围绕更小、更紧凑且价格明显更便宜的电动车的市场活动非常活跃——尤其是随着高油价促使更多人重新考虑停在自家车道上的皮卡和 SUV。
Of course, the Topolino won’t be for everyone. As a restylized Citroën Ami, it’s designed primarily for short trips in an urban setting, as it’s not yet legal for highway driving. And if 19mph is too slow for you, a complimentary Low Speed Vehicle conversion kit will be available later this summer to increase the Topolino’s max speed to an eye-watering 25mph. Buckle up, baby. Or in the case of the versions without a real door, stay behind the braided rope. 当然，Topolino 并不适合所有人。作为雪铁龙 Ami 的改款车型，它主要为城市短途出行而设计，目前尚不具备高速公路行驶的合法资格。如果你觉得 19 英里/小时太慢，今年夏天晚些时候将提供一套免费的低速车辆改装套件，可将 Topolino 的最高时速提升至“惊人”的 25 英里/小时（约 40 公里/小时）。系好安全带吧，宝贝。或者对于那些没有真正车门的版本，请待在编织绳后面。
Fiat is leaning into the golf cart comparison, noting that many owners take their golf carts far beyond the course. To them, this reflects a pent-up desire for smaller, slower, less burdensomely huge personal vehicles — but also not necessarily exposed to the elements like an electric bike. 菲亚特倾向于将其与高尔夫球车进行类比，并指出许多车主会将高尔夫球车开到高尔夫球场之外的地方。对他们来说，这反映了一种对更小、更慢、负担没那么重的个人交通工具的压抑需求——同时又不必像骑电动自行车那样暴露在风吹雨打中。
Which is not to say there will be a stampede at the Fiat dealership to snatch one of these up. Small cars have not historically sold well in the US. Fiat started out promising, selling over 43,000 vehicles in 2012, its first full year in the US, according to CNBC. Those sales have all but disappeared, with the brand only logging 1,300 sales in 2025. The Fiat 500e, the company’s only slightly larger electric two-door, was leasing for $0 down and $0 a month in Colorado a few years ago. Demand for these types of cars isn’t what I would consider dependable. 这并不是说菲亚特经销商处会出现抢购狂潮。从历史上看，小型车在美国的销量一直不佳。据 CNBC 报道，菲亚特起步时表现尚可，2012 年（其在美国的第一个完整年份）销量超过 43,000 辆。但这些销量几乎已经消失，该品牌在 2025 年仅录得 1,300 辆的销量。几年前，菲亚特 500e（该公司唯一稍大一点的电动双门轿车）在科罗拉多州甚至曾以 0 首付、0 月供的方式进行租赁。这类汽车的需求在我看来并不稳定。
But the buzz around Japanese kei trucks, for example, has others trying to triangulate whether small cars are just waiting to break out in the US. Even President Donald Trump couldn’t hide his enthusiasm, declaring them to be “really cute” and desiring to see them built in the US. A week after those comments, Fiat announced that the Topolino would be arriving in the states. (The automaker denied there was a link to Trump’s statement.) 但例如围绕日本“K-Car”皮卡的讨论，让其他人试图判断小型车是否正等待在美国市场爆发。甚至唐纳德·特朗普总统也难掩兴奋之情，称它们“非常可爱”，并希望看到它们在美国制造。在这些言论发表一周后，菲亚特宣布 Topolino 将进入美国市场。（该汽车制造商否认这与特朗普的声明有关。）
The Topolino certainly has its tradeoffs, but its sheer cuteness could help it find a devoted audience. I could see this doing very well at a resort or an amusement park. Just don’t try taking any tight turns too fast. Topolino 当然有其局限性，但它纯粹的可爱感或许能帮助它找到一批忠实的受众。我认为它在度假村或游乐园里会非常受欢迎。只是，过急转弯时千万别太快。