Fiat has confirmed that its tiny electric Topolino will go on sale in the United States for $13,995, making it the country's cheapest new EV. Rather than a conventional car, it is effectively a micromobility vehicle: it tops out at just 19mph, offers only 46 miles of range and is barely longer than one and a half king-size mattresses. Its arrival matters because it tests whether small, slow and cheap EVs can find a market in a country that has long favoured large trucks and SUVs, particularly as high fuel prices prompt some drivers to reconsider.

A restyled version of the Citroën Ami, the Topolino runs on a 5.4kWh battery that charges in about five hours and is not yet legal for highway use, being intended for short urban trips. A free conversion kit due later in the summer will lift the top speed to 25mph. Fiat, which is owned by Stellantis, likens the vehicle to a golf cart, but small cars have historically sold poorly in the US: the brand's sales fell from over 43,000 in 2012 to just 1,300 in 2025. The launch follows President Trump praising small Japanese kei trucks as "really cute", though Fiat denied any link to his comments.