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Stellantis to bring tiny Fiat car to U.S. following Trump remarks
Stellantis plans to offer the Fiat Topolino, an all-electric quadricycle vehicle, in the U.S.
Stellantis
DETROIT – Chrysler parent Stellantis on Monday announced it will offer an all-electric small “car” called the Fiat Topolino in the U.S.
The automaker did not announce timing for the vehicle, but Fiat CEO Olivier François confirmed plans to bring the vehicle to the market, with “more details to come next year.”
Fiat’s announcement comes less than a week after President Donald Trump praised small “Kei” cars from Japan during a meeting at the White House with Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa and other U.S. lawmakers and automotive executives.
“They’re very small. They’re really cute,” Trump said during the Wednesday meeting. “And I said, ‘How would that do in this country?’ And everyone seems to think ‘good,’ but you’re not allowed to build them.”
Trump said he ordered U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to allow small vehicles like the Kei “micro” cars to be built and driven in the U.S. It’s not necessarily illegal to produce such cars in America, but they have to meet American safety standards, speed requirements and other regulations.
A Stellantis spokeswoman said Fiat’s announcement was unrelated to Trump’s comments last week and that the automaker has been gauging customer interest for the Topolino at U.S. events such as auto shows.
The Topolino, which translates to “little mouse” in Italian, is actually categorized as “an all-electric quadricycle” rather than a car, according to Stellantis. It has a top speed of roughly 28 miles per hour and driving range of up to 75 kilometers (less than 50 miles) on a single charge. The vehicle is produced in Morocco.
Small cars have historically not sold well in the U.S.
The most recent meaningful push to sell small cars in the U.S. occurred after the Great Recession in 2009 under the Obama administration. Back then, Italian automaker Fiat was allowed to purchase bankrupt automaker Chrysler, in part, to help bring such vehicles to the U.S.
Fiat and its small 500 city car reentered the U.S. market in 2011 amid Fiat’s takeover of Chrysler (both now owned by Stellantis).
In its first full year in 2012, Fiat sold 43,772 vehicles in the U.S. Those sales have since dwindled to roughly 1,500 Fiat vehicles sold last year in the U.S.
Business
Trump says he could send National Guard to airports ‘for more help’
President Donald Trump said he’s considering sending the National Guard to U.S. airports, two days after the administration deployed Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to several major U.S. airports following hourslong waits for travelers because of the partial government shutdown.
In a Truth Social post Wednesday, Trump blamed Democrats for the shutdown, which began Feb. 14.
“Thank you to our great ICE Patriots for helping. It makes a big difference,” he wrote in his post. “I may call up the National Guard for more help.”
Travelers wait in line at a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) in Atlanta, Georgia, US, on Monday, March 23, 2026.
Elijah Nouvelage | Bloomberg | Getty Images
More than 11% of TSA officers called out on Wednesday and over 450 have quit since the shutdown started, the Department of Homeland Security said.
Elevated absences of Transportation Security Administration officers, who are required to work though they’re not getting paid during the shutdown, have contributed to long lines at major U.S. airports, including in Atlanta, Houston and New York.
The DHS, which oversees both ICE and and the TSA, said the ICE agents will “support airports facing the greatest strain” but the department didn’t respond to requests for comment on what the ICE agents’ duties are. ICE agents are getting paid in the shutdown.
Airlines have been warning customers about potentially long security lines, while executives grow increasingly frustrated with lawmakers about the impasse. On Tuesday, Delta Air Lines said it suspended its airport escorts and other special services for members of Congress and their staff because of the ongoing partial shutdown of the DHS.
The shutdown comes as Democrats in Congress have demanded changes to how federal immigration enforcement operates in exchange for releasing DHS funding after two U.S. citizens were shot and killed by ICE officers in Minneapolis.
Business
Families offered support with food costs over Easter holidays
Low-income families are being offered help with the cost of food during the Easter holidays.
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Video: What Soaring Fuel Costs Mean for Your Air Travel
new video loaded: What Soaring Fuel Costs Mean for Your Air Travel
By Niraj Chokshi, Léo Hamelin, Stephanie Swart, Rebecca Suner and Lauren Pruitt
March 25, 2026
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