The 500 hybrid restarts production at Mirafiori: one hundred thousand cars in 2026

TURIN – It is one of the pieces of the Italian Plan, which makes Fiat CEO Olivier François say that «we have moved from words to action» . The words are those of December, when the Plan was presented to the Ministry of Enterprise. The action concerns the start of production of the hybrid 500 at Mirafiori: a model that, when fully operational, should reduce the redundancy fund for the Turin plant’s body shops. And François is betting «on the start of a second shift with production increases in 2026».

Stellantis plans to manufacture at least 5,000 hybrids of the small Fiat brand by the end of 2025. The start will be in November, when the car will be officially presented at the Film Festival. The first deliveries will be in December with the Torino series, which has the yellow and blue colors of the city. The pre-series models are now coming out of Mirafiori and running on the line together with the electric ones. The new model is an adaptation of the electric platform, transformed into a hybrid by coupling an electrified engine similar to the Pandina engine. Price starting from 17,000 euros. "In addition to the reduction in redundancy payments, there will be a strong impact on the supply chain: 145 Italian suppliers are involved, 70 of which are from Piedmont," Francois emphasizes.

It is no coincidence that July 4 was chosen for the preview. In 2007, under the leadership of Sergio Marchionne, on the fiftieth anniversary of the original model, the new 500 was launched. "It is a jewel loved all over the world, a manifesto: now a new chapter opens, that of the pragmatic 500", says the CEO. In the front row are the unions, who claim the request to bring the model back from Poland to Mirafiori, the mayor of Turin, Stefano Lo Russo, and the president of the Region, Alberto Cirio. Everyone is satisfied with the "concrete and positive step", but everyone hopes for the arrival of a car that will allow the cash to end and hire.

The CEO spoke of phases two and three, always linked to Turin. In 2027 a new electric version will be launched «with batteries made in Stellantis and a price around 20 thousand euros or even less» . And then in 2030 the new version of the 500 will debut, which is taking shape at the Centro Stile in Turin: «It will be a new car, electric and hybrid while we wait to understand what will happen at a European level».

Even at Mirafiori, Brussels was an unwelcome guest yesterday. "Our Plan for Italy can be done," says François, "and let's put Mirafiori and the other factories at the center." The problems are the unknowns, such as the fines on the road to 2035, the year in which new cars should be all electric. A problem also relaunched by the number one in Europe at Stellantis, Jean-Philippe Imparato, together with the excess of rules and regulations on city cars. "We must be able to sell the hybrid 500 without fear of being fined," says François, "let's remove this sword of Damocles and start selling beautiful, modern, safe and environmentally friendly cars again." Since 2019, one million fewer small cars have been sold in Europe due to strict rules on approvals. "It's the equivalent," says François, "of six closed factories."