By Andrew Ganz
Thursday, Aug 9th, 2007 @ 10:52 am

Fiat has partnered with two Italian utilities – Cemig and Itaipu – to build 30 electric cars for testing in Brazil. The electric cars are based on Fiat’s Palio, a compact hatchback currently sold with gasoline and diesel engines in Brazil, and they’ll be on the road later this year.
The project is designed to show that plug-in electric cars are viable for emerging markets. According to Wards Auto, the cars will cost upwards of $36,000 each, a hefty premium over a standard Palio. Fiat hasn’t released how distribution will be handled; it’s not expected that the vehicles will be released to the general public.

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