The American Blind Spot: Why Fiat's Tiny EV Exposes a Regulatory Gap

The US federal framework for vehicle regulation has no category for small, slow machines common overseas. Fiat's Topolino—an electric quadricycle maxing out at 19 mph, priced under $15,000—falls into a void where state rules govern instead. NHTSA's standards, built for cars and motorcycles, left no middle tier. The gap persists because no constituency pushes back: too sluggish for highways, too car-like for bike shops, too marginal for automakers to lobby.