Stellantis sells the Fiat Topolino EV subcompact for $13,995 in the US

Detroit – parent company of Chrysler Stellantis Fiat Topolino said on Tuesday that it has opened orders for its small electric car, the Fiat Topolino, in the United States, with a starting price of $13,995.

While the Topolino looks like a small car like the Fiat 500, the electric car is actually a quad bike that functions like a golf cart.

The Topolino is capable of going 19 mph, with an electric range of up to 46 miles, Stellantis said. A low-speed vehicle conversion kit can increase the top speed to 25 mph to make it legal on roads with speed limits of 35 mph or less, according to the transatlantic automaker.

A Stellantis spokeswoman said there would be no fees for the conversion kit, but confirmed that a mandatory destination fee would add $990 to the base price, bringing the customer price to $14,985.

Topolino, which translates in Italian to “little mouse,” is produced in Morocco. The company said it will be available in limited quantities this year as a hardtop model with doors or as a Dolce Vita soft-top convertible model with a rope instead of doors.

“Topolino represents a new chapter for the brand in the United States – defined not just by size, but by purpose,” Fiat CEO Olivier François said in a statement. “With Topolino, we bring a feeling, a lifestyle and a reminder that mobility can be fun, expressive and beautifully simple.”

Stellantis, which also owns American brands such as Jeep and Dodge, confirmed late last year that it would bring the vehicle from Italy to the United States, less than a week after President Donald Trump praised small Kei cars from Japan during a White House meeting with Stellantis CEO Antonio Velosa and other auto leaders.

“She’s very young. She’s really cute,” Trump said at the December meeting. “And I said: What would it be like in this country?” “Everyone seems to think well, but you’re not allowed to build it.”

It is not illegal to produce such cars in America, but they must meet American safety standards, speed requirements, and other regulations.

Small cars like Fiat have historically not sold well in the United States. In its first full year in the United States in 2012, Fiat sold 43,772 vehicles domestically. Those sales dwindled to about 1,300 Fiat vehicles sold last year in the United States

A Stellantis spokeswoman said at the time that Fiat’s announcement was unrelated to Trump’s comments and that the automaker was gauging customer interest in the Topolino at U.S. events such as auto shows.