Stellantis has brought Fiat's tiny Topolino to the United States, wagering that the retro-styled two-seat electric microcar can lure buyers away from souped-up golf carts in the gated communities, resort towns and coastal enclaves where low-speed vehicles already thrive.
The 2026 Topolino, whose name translates to "little mouse" in Italian, measures about 2.5 meters long, weighs just under 500 kilograms and is powered by an 8-horsepower electric motor offering up to 46 miles of range on a full charge. It starts at $13,995 before a destination fee, undercutting most electric cars on the market by a wide margin, according to details confirmed by Auto123 and Hagerty. Stellantis announced the launch from its North American headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan, marking the company's first entry into the U.S. micromobility category.
As delivered, the Topolino tops out at 19 mph and is not legal on most public roads, instead built for use on private roads, campuses and communities that already permit golf carts and neighborhood electric vehicles. Fiat CEO Olivier François has framed that limitation as a feature rather than a bug, describing a market the company had not initially targeted.
We are capturing a market no one saw coming: golf cart owners who want to legally drive around town.
Olivier François, Fiat CEO
That calculation changes later this summer, when Fiat begins offering a no-cost Low-Speed Vehicle conversion kit that raises the Topolino's top speed to 25 mph and adds the equipment federal and state rules require for that classification — a rearview mirror with an integrated backup camera, an audible pedestrian alert, a proper vehicle identification number and registration stickers. Once converted, the car qualifies as a street-legal LSV on public roads with speed limits of 35 mph or lower in states that recognize the category, according to Motor1.
The Topolino is a rebadged cousin of the Citroën Ami, another Stellantis-family microcar sold in Europe since 2020, adapted here with Fiat styling and U.S.-specific safety equipment. Because it qualifies as a low-speed vehicle rather than a conventional passenger car, it bypasses traditional crash-testing and airbag mandates, a regulatory shortcut that keeps costs down but also limits where it can legally go. Stellantis has not disclosed U.S. sales targets, but industry analysts see the launch as a test of whether Americans in car-heavy retirement and resort communities will trade oversized golf carts for a European-designed alternative with a recognizable badge on the hood.