President Donald Trump has opened the door for tiny cars to be sold in the US — and now Stellantis is bringing an Italian mini car to American shores.
The auto conglomerate, which owns Jeep and Ram, confirmed on Monday that it would bring the Fiat Topolino — a 2.5-meter-long electric tiny car — to the US.
Speaking at an event in Michigan, Fiat CEO Olivier Francois said the Topolino’s display appearances in the US had sparked “tremendous excitement,” adding that the company would share more details about the tiny car’s US launch next year.
The Topolino, which means “little mouse” in Italian, is a major departure from the gas-guzzling big trucks that dominate US roads.
Built by Italian brand Fiat, the compact city car has a max range of around 47 miles and a top speed of 28 miles per hour.
Weighing less than a golf cart, it’s technically classified as an electric quadricycle rather than a car, meaning that it can be driven from age 14 in some European countries.
Sjoerd van der Wal/Getty Images
The Topolino is available throughout Europe and costs around 9,900 euros ($11,500) in its home market of Italy. Its impending US launch follows a sudden burst of support for tiny cars from an unlikely source — Trump.
The US president expressed admiration for Japan’s pint-sized Kei cars after a recent trip to the country.
Trump described the mini electric models, which are hugely popular in Japan, as “very cute” and “beautiful,” and said last week that he had loosened regulations to allow manufacturers to build them in the US.
A Stellantis spokesperson told CNBC the announcement of the Topolino’s US launch was unrelated to Trump’s comments. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Kei cars have developed an enthusiastic cult following in the US, but the vehicles don’t meet federal auto standards and can only be imported if they’re over 25 years old.
Kei cars also face a patchwork of state regulations, with some states limiting them to low speeds or prohibiting them from being driven on public roads entirely.
