The Fiat Topolino is officially going on sale in the United States. You can buy one of these tiny micro-mobility cars from a Fiat dealer, and you can even drive it on certain public roads. Glorious. How it all works isn’t exactly the same as buying any other car from the dealer, though. But don’t worry; we’ve got you covered. To get the download on how you might go about the task of acquiring and driving the Topolino, Road & Track spoke with Fiat USA CEO Andrew Waterhouse.
Delivery and Customization
It’s simple for folks who don’t plan on ever taking the little two-seater on public roads: purchase a Topolino for a cost of $14,985, and your local Fiat dealer will deliver it to your location of choice within a 50-mile radius for free. All you have to do is choose between the standard model or the door-less Dolcevita version that swaps said doors for a pair of fancy ropes.
Should you wish to pilot a Topolino on public streets, however, things get a little more complicated. The tiny EV qualifies for road use through the government’s Low-Speed Vehicle regulations, but it needs some modifications. The Topolino has most of those items as standard, but it’s missing the higher top speed, backup camera, pedestrian alert system and regulatory stickers/VIN. Therefore, you’ll need to specify the Low-Speed Vehicle (LSV) conversion kit should you want to drive your Topolino on the road.
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Luckily, Fiat is offering this kit free of charge to Topolino and Topolino Dolcevita buyers. There’s no need to even pay for installation, because Fiat is reimbursing dealers for the labor. “We are paying for the kit, so we are absorbing that cost; so there’s no additional cost to the consumer,” Waterhouse said. “So what we want to do is give the customer one hundred percent flexibility in terms of what they want. Honestly, we wanted to just launch it right.”
What’s in the Kit
The kit includes a new rearview mirror that has a small screen integrated into it; when you put the Topolino in reverse, a newly-mounted camera feeds the screen your reverse view. The pedestrian alert system just requires an exterior speaker like the ones you’re likely already familiar hearing when an EV slowly drives by. It’s legally obligated to stay on until 19 mph, but will shut off above that. Next, the dealer applies a package of stickers and labels to the vehicle, and most importantly, it gets assigned a proper VIN. Lastly, once all those items are taken care of, Fiat is able to flash software to the car that raises the speed limiter from 19 mph to 25 mph.
With all these parts fitted, you could technically drive your Topolino home from the dealership, so long as the roads you’re traveling on are all speed-limit-35-mph or below. That’s the federal maximum speed limit road you’re allowed to travel on in a Low-Speed Vehicle, making it an ideal car for cities or small communities. Like any other road vehicle, however, you’ll need to register and insure it.
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Plus, not every state has the same laws surrounding Low-Speed Vehicle use; you might find that your state has a lower speed limit rule than federal laws, so do your research before buying. For example, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Missouri, and Rhode Island don’t allow you to drive a Low-Speed Vehicle on any public roads.
Fiat expects most Topolinos to be used as transportation on large properties or businesses, in addition to car-less communities like those found all over Florida for retired folks. That said, there’s nothing stopping you from making it your daily around-town transportation in congested cities like NYC or Chicago. Waterhouse says Fiat is starting small with how many Topolinos it’s shipping to the U.S., but that could change should demand call for it.
“We’re certainly aspirational, but at this point, it’s very limited quantity,” Waterhouse tells Road & Track. “I think the number that has been thrown around is the first shipment was 300 units. We, in some sense, are just kind of dipping our toe in the water, so we don’t want to get too aggressive, so we’re focused on that at the moment. But certainly over time we would look to grow.”
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The number of Fiat dealers that will sell you a Topolino is also in flux, but Waterhouse tells us any Fiat dealer is welcome to be part of the party. Thankfully, there is a dealer finder on Fiat’s website that’ll let you know the closest Topolino source. Fiat also says it’s traveling around the country on what it calls a “TopoTour,” visiting neighborhoods with pop-up activations where folks might find a tiny vehicle like this one useful. You’ll be able to try one out, ask questions and start the buying process at these events. The next stop is the Hamptons on New York’s Long Island, which I must admit is just the spot for a limited-use-but-highly-stylish vehicle.
Waterhouse says that of the interest Fiat has received so far, many folks have their sights set on Fiat’s customization partner, Motori Co. This outfitter will take your Topolino and do nearly whatever you want to it from an appearance perspective in addition to offering pre-made themes. Every Topolino comes from Fiat in the same Verde Vita exterior paint, so sending it to Motori is an easy way to make yours stand out from the crowd. “We’re hearing stories of consumers that want a Topolino to match their Ferrari,” Waterhouse says.
Should you want one, the first batch is coming online soon, and Fiat says it’s even tossing in a pair of free color-matched speakers for initial customers to jam some tunes with.
