Fiat 500e Type 1 EV Charging Cable

Which 500e do you have? It decides everything

There are two completely different electric Fiat 500s and they take different cables. These leads are for the earlier one.

The 2013 to 2019 500e was built for California and Oregon, where zero emission mandates required it, and Fiat said from the start that it had no plans to sell it in Europe. It uses the Type 1 connector, has no DC inlet whatsoever, and carries a 24 kWh battery. Any example in Britain arrived as a private import or through a specialist reseller. If that is your car, a Type 1 to Type 2 cable is what you need, and it is not a product most retailers stock for a Fiat.

The 2020-on 500e sold through Fiat UK is a different vehicle: Type 2 with a CCS socket, 24 or 42 kWh, and an 11 kW three phase charger. A Type 1 lead will not fit it. Do one check first: look at the inlet and count the holes. A five pin socket is Type 1 and these leads are the right ones. A seven pin socket is Type 2 and you need a different product. Thirty seconds now saves a return later.

What the imported car actually does

The onboard charger is a single phase unit of 6.6 kW accepting 6 to 32 amps across a wide voltage range, which is how the same car worked on both 110 and 240 volt supplies in America. On a British 230 volt single phase supply that means the full rate, with no phase arithmetic to do.

There is no DC socket, so rapid charging was never available to this car in any market. Rapid chargers are irrelevant here, because there is no DC connector to plug them into. The Type 2 cable does all of the work, which is why a missing one on a used car is a bigger problem than most buyers expect. On a 24 kWh battery that matters less than it would on a bigger car, because the whole pack fills in a few hours, but it does mean the lead is not optional equipment.

How long a full charge takes

Figures are calculated rather than quoted: battery divided by power, 13 per cent for losses, quarter hour rounding. The miles column uses 3.5 miles per kWh, which holds up in winter as well as summer. The pack is quoted as 24 kWh with no usable figure published, so the table works from the full figure and real times run a little shorter.

Under five hours from empty at the car's own maximum, and about twelve from a three pin socket. For a car of this size and age those are easy numbers to live with, and they are the reason an imported 500e is more practical as a second car than its range alone suggests.

Which length for a 500e

The socket is on the offside rear side panel, which is also where Fiat put it on the later European car. On a 3.57 metre hatchback, almost nothing is far away.

Five metres reaches on the majority of driveways, particularly if you reverse in. Ten metres is for a charge point across a shared drive or a long way from the bay. Pace it out from the socket to the flap with the car parked as it always is, then allow a little extra.

How these cables are built

Made to IEC 62196-2, CE marked, and rated IP55 from -30C to +50C so it lives outdoors all year.

Three pin construction follows IEC 62752, CE marked, IP67 rated, usable from -30C to +60C. The manufacturer warrants it for two years, delivery in the UK is free and next working day, and returns run to 30 days.

Every Fiat we cover is on the Fiat charging cables page.

Fiat 500e Type 1 charging cable questions

Is the Fiat 500e Type 1 or Type 2?

Both exist. The 2013 to 2019 car, which only reached Britain as a private import, is Type 1 with no DC socket. The 2020-on car sold by Fiat UK is Type 2 with CCS. These cables fit the earlier one.

How do I tell which I have?

Count the pins on the socket in the car. Five is Type 1 and these leads are correct. Seven is Type 2 and you need a different cable. The age of the car is the other giveaway.

How fast does the imported 500e charge?

Up to 6.6 kW, and because the charger is single phase you get all of it at a British house. That is under five hours from empty.

Can it use a rapid charger?

No. The 2013 to 2019 500e has no DC inlet at all, in any market, so the Type 1 cable is the only way to charge it.