Colorado residents can drive an EV for technically free

Little red Italian cars may soon start popping up more on the streets of Denver. A Fiat dealership in Colorado is offering a 27-month lease on a 2024 Fiat 500e for $0/month and no down payment.

There are some catches, however:

• Driving more than 10,000 miles/year will result in extra-mile fees (unless the car is bought out).
• The lessee is also on the hook for taxes (~$1,300), registration fees, and a $395 "disposition fee" once the 27 months are up (~$63/month all in).

Compliance > profit: Stellantis, Fiat's corporate parent, doesn't offer many EVs and likely needs to sell the vehicle to accumulate zero-emission vehicle credits, Axios reports. And Colorado, where the deal is being offered, also requires automakers to offer a minimum percentage of zero-emission vehicles for sale.

Not just Fiats: A Nissan dealer in Colorado is offering $5 leases on 2025 Leaf models.

🚘🔌 Zoom out: While EV and hybrid vehicle sales have been weaker than expected – leading automakers to increasingly scale back or delay their EV plans – they comprised a record 21% of all US car purchases in Q3. That figure is projected to increase to between 30%–39% by the end of the decade – though the incoming Trump administration plans to eliminate the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, which analysts say could negatively impact demand.