Fiat is set to introduce a novel feature in its upcoming electric vehicles, starting with the new Grande Panda in the next year. This innovation involves integrating charging cables into the car’s bodywork, with the cables stored behind a panel on the front fascia and utilizing a sprung mechanism for ease of use.
Carlos Tavares, CEO of Fiat’s parent company Stellantis, highlighted the importance of this design change: “We aim to solve the issue of cables getting dirty by avoiding having them placed on the ground.” He compared this to the advancements seen in household appliances like vacuum cleaners, suggesting that such an improvement is overdue for automotive technology.
For the Grande Panda, which is expected to arrive in the UK early next year, the integrated AC cable supports charging speeds of up to 7.4kW. This allows the vehicle’s 44kWh battery to gain approximately 120 miles of range within 4 hours and 10 minutes.
However, this front-mounted cable will not support rapid charging due to the cooling requirements, with a separate DC charging port available on the car’s side for faster 100kW charging. Upon its UK release, the Grande Panda, built on the Smart Car platform, is projected to be one of the most affordable electric vehicles available, with prices starting at under £22,000.