Fiat has indeed reversed course and decided to put a petrol engine back into the latest Fiat 500. Despite initially being launched as a strictly electric city car, the hatchback will now also be available with a combustion engine. The parent company, Stellantis, has announced that a hybrid version of the 500 will be produced at the Mirafiori factory in Italy starting in 2026. Interestingly, the 500 technically never lost its combustion engine; Fiat still sells the previous-generation model outside the United States as a hybrid. However, in North America, the pint-sized car remains strictly electric. It remains to be seen whether the ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) model will make its way to the US, where it could potentially be more affordable than the pricey electric version. The 2024 Fiat 500e currently costs USD34,095 before options. The shift toward a gas engine for the new 500 reflects the changing landscape of the EV market, where automakers are reevaluating their plans due to reduced or eliminated EV incentives. It'll be interesting to see if the high-performance Abarth 500e will also be joined by a hybrid model. As for Fiat's overall electric ambitions, while they initially announced a move to purely electric vehicles by the end of the decade, it's unclear whether that plan remains unchanged. In related news, Stellantis also intends to build a hybrid version of the Jeep Compass at the Melfi plant in Italy.

Fiat 500 Hybrid:

   - The Fiat 500e, an all-electric model, will now have a platform mate in the form of a gasoline version with a mild hybrid powertrain.

   - This new hybrid variant will be produced at Fiat's Mirafiori plant in Italy.

   - The move aims to expand the Fiat 500 lineup beyond the electric version and provide more options for customers.

   - Production is expected to start in the first quarter of 2026.