In Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Captain Kirk refers to the U.S.S. Excelsior as “the Great Experiment,” a vessel designed to test new technologies and ideas without risking established models. Similarly, Fiat views its return to the North American market with the 500e as an opportunity for experimentation and innovation.
In a recent roundtable discussion, Olivier Francois, Fiat’s Brand Chief Executive Officer, detailed the company’s approach to reintroducing the 500e in the U.S. market. Francois emphasized that this move allows Fiat to explore new concepts and strategies that are not feasible in its established European market. “It gives us a chance to experiment,” he said. “In Europe I can’t take many risks to disrupt that market. But in the United States, we have nothing to lose.”
Fiat’s strategy revolves around using the 500e to test various ideas without the fear of significant market repercussions. According to Francois, the traditional auto industry is ripe for disruption, and Fiat aims to be at the forefront of this change. The company is looking to innovate in areas such as sales methods, vehicle configurations, marketing approaches, and creating excitement around its products.
Francois is clear about his intentions: he wants to experiment with the sales model and configuration options for the 500e. He is considering offering a simplified range of configurations and exploring different marketing strategies, including targeting digital audiences and implementing a “sneaker drop” approach with limited-time features or special paint options.
The focus for Fiat is not on achieving high sales volumes but on profitability and market presence. Francois stated, “For the right customer, the 500e is a fantastic product. But if it’s not for you, that’s OK.” He also acknowledged that selling large numbers of 500es could create logistical issues, particularly since the model is a popular choice in Europe, especially in Germany. Managing supply and demand without disrupting the European market is a key consideration.
Fiat’s approach includes reducing complexity to improve profit margins and simplify the process of federalizing and selling the car in the U.S. The 500e will be Fiat’s sole model in the U.S. market, with no plans to replace the 500X. This streamlined focus is intended to maximize the effectiveness of the company’s efforts in the American market.
Francois anticipates that some of the experimental strategies may not succeed but views this as part of the learning process. “I expect some of these ideas to not work,” he acknowledged. “But you don’t know what you don’t know.”
Success for Fiat’s U.S. experiment would involve breaking even and potentially exceeding that goal. Francois also highlighted the importance of evaluating both tangible and intangible benefits of the new strategies. “We are dinosaurs,” he said. “This is a chance for us to not be a dinosaur anymore.”
The U.S. version of the Fiat 500e is set to debut at the 2023 LA Auto Show and will be available for purchase shortly thereafter.