British Autocar reports that Fiat aims to improve how people charge their EVs. Right now, drivers have to get cables from the trunk or frunk. This can be a hassle and might get the cables dirty.
Fiat's solution? A built-in, sprung cable at the front of the car. Carlos Tavares, Stellantis CEO, explained the problem:
"You have these fantastic cars – full of technology, great materials, nice trims – and the first thing you do is you put the cable on the ground, and it's dirty and you throw it back in your trunk. That's not very high technology. If you look at vacuum cleaners, they found a better solution."
The new cable will hide behind the Fiat logo on the front of the car. It'll be long enough to reach chargers that aren't right in front of the vehicle. Fiat showed how it works in a video on social media.
Cars will still have a second inlet for DC charging. The built-in cable won't work for that type of charging.
Fiat plans to start with the Grande Panda Electric next year. Press images from July already show a compartment for the cable. The company wants all its new EVs to have this feature.
The idea comes from vacuum cleaners with retractable cords. Fiat hopes this will make charging more user-friendly.
Source: Autocar