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Fiat 500e named cheapest new car to run in America despite slow sales
A new study finds the Fiat 500e is the most affordable new car to own in the US, with annual running costs of $3,557, despite selling only 150 units in the first half of the year. Hybrids beat EVs overall, while the Porsche 911 tops the list of most expensive cars to run.
By Eleanor Ellington · 3 min read
The Fiat 500e, a compact electric hatchback that has struggled to find buyers in the American market, has been identified as the cheapest new car to run in the United States. A study by Self.Inc, which analysed the average running costs of 50 popular new cars, found that the 500e costs just $3,557 per year to keep on the road, comfortably ahead of its nearest rival.
The figure puts the pint-sized EV well below the second-placed Honda Civic Hybrid, which carries average annual costs of $4,833. The study breaks down expenses into fuel or charging, maintenance, insurance, and fees and taxes. For the 500e, charging costs average $779 a year, while insurance is also $779, well under the industry average. Annual maintenance is listed at $1,275, and fees and taxes come to $724.
The affordability stands in stark contrast to the car's commercial performance. Fiat sold just 150 examples of the 500e in the first half of the year, an 81 percent drop from the 788 units shifted over the same period in 2025. Dealers have reportedly struggled to move the vehicle even with discounts of $15,000, and Fiat has responded by raising the price by $5,200.
The Hyundai Elantra N took third place in the affordability ranking with annual costs of $4,904, helped by low maintenance bills of $1,278. Other inexpensive models include the Nissan Versa at $4,949, the Toyota Camry Hybrid at $5,031, the Honda Accord Hybrid at $5,047, and the petrol-powered Honda Civic at $5,062. The Mini Cooper, Kia K4, and Mazda3 also feature among the more economical options.
At the opposite end of the scale, the Porsche 911 was named the most expensive new car to run, with average annual costs of $10,832. It is followed by the Audi RS7 at $10,334, the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing at $10,265, the Chevrolet Corvette at $10,213, and the Lucid Air at $10,049, the latter weighed down by high insurance premiums for the luxury electric sedan.
The study also highlighted broader trends in ownership costs. Hybrids emerged as the cheapest category overall, with average annual running costs of $5,734, undercutting the $6,189 recorded for electric vehicles, largely because of cheaper insurance, fees, and taxes. Petrol-powered cars were the most expensive to run, averaging $7,025 per year.
Compared with the previous edition of the study in 2024, average annual fuel costs have fallen from $2,246 to $1,727. However, insurance costs have climbed from $1,763 to $2,219, maintenance has risen from $1,633 to $1,817, and fees and taxes have increased from $820 to $1,151, offsetting some of the savings at the pump.
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