According to S&P Global Mobility data, Fiat sold only 15 units of the 500e in the United States in January 2026, marking a 91 percent drop from the 174 units recorded in the same month of 2025. The figure worsens a trend that had already become visible in the final quarter of last year, when the brand registered just 84 vehicles between October and December, for an average of fewer than 30 units per month. The turning point came when the federal tax credit for electric vehicle purchases ended on September 30, 2025, stripping the 500e of the only commercial lever capable of supporting demand in a market that has shown little interest in its format.
Fiat collapses in the US with only 15 sales in January 2026
The 500e is now effectively the only Fiat model still present in the United States, after dealers ran out of the remaining 500X inventory and Fiat withdrew the gasoline-powered 500 back in 2019. In 2025, the brand closed the year with 1,321 total sales, down 14 percent from the previous year, a volume that accounts for less than 0.01 percent of the country’s total registrations. Of that figure, 1,141 units came from the 500e, which on paper posted 18 percent year-over-year growth, although it started from just 970 units in 2024, the first year of sales for the new generation built in Mirafiori.
The gap between what the 500e offers and what the American market wants remains at the heart of the problem. Its EPA range stops between 141 and 149 miles with a 42 kWh battery, compared with the 300 miles of the Chevrolet Equinox EV at about $34,995 and the more than 270 miles of the Tesla Model 3 at $38,990. For the 2026 model year, Fiat raised the 500e’s starting price to $35,700, adding $5,200 because of tariff-related pressure and making the comparison even less favorable against rivals that offer twice the range in roomier body styles.
In the past, commercial leasing had allowed Fiat to get around the North American assembly requirement set by the IRA, letting the brand benefit from the $7,500 federal credit and making zero-dollar monthly offers possible in states such as Colorado, where buyers could also combine local incentives worth $5,000. Once that advantage disappeared, demand almost vanished as well.
A very small dealer network, an advertising presence that several observers describe as nonexistent, and a two-door city-car format with 7.5 cubic feet of cargo space have made the situation even harder. Fiat designed the car for European urban use, but that concept finds little traction in a market dominated by SUVs and pickups.
From a strategic point of view, new Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa has not ruled out a regional rationalization of the brand portfolio and has identified Fiat as one of the brands most exposed to a possible rethink of its American presence, while the $13 billion investment plan announced in 2025 focuses almost entirely on Jeep, Ram, Dodge, and Chrysler. Some observers had imagined a new Fiat Freemont as a way to lift sales in the United States, given that an SUV would better match the character of this market.
The first-quarter 2026 results, expected on April 30, will offer a clearer indication of the brand’s ability to maintain even a minimal presence in the American market without the support of incentives.
