Today marks a new beginning in my nearly 24 years of automotive writing. This morning, a light blue 2016 Fiat 500e arrives for a three-month stay. It’ll be my first shot at a long-term evaluation.

This plan started back on August 12, 2015, when I sent a letter to my friend at Fiat Chrysler Automotive (FCA) about borrowing an all-electric vehicle and really living with it. I’d just spent a week with the modest but kind of cute Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric and wondered if they’d let me keep one for a while. They opted not to. So, I approached FCA, because I really liked the 500e already and had already tested one the previous November. And, they have always been great to work with.

FCA said yes, and then–I waited. A weekly car test is a continuous flow, but it took until now to get my car. I was patient, keeping in touch, but the day has finally arrived.

To prepare, I started this blog, the first item on my EV to-do list, and primed it with several stories. My to do list also included:

• Drive it regularly
• Feature it on my Facebook page
• Join/participate in local EV-related groups events
• Tweet
• Continue my “parking lot tours” for the curious
• Replace my regular cap with a FIAT one

There’s plenty more to do, but so far, the blog is here and my Twitter account is active , pointing at it. Facebook is a given. Now, to join those clubs. Unfortunately, the deep wet winter isn’t the time for parking lot events, but we’ll see.

I decided that a three-month test car, especially a cute one, needed a name. Fidelio indicates the faithful service I’m hoping to enjoy with this cute little car. It’s a boy, for no reason I can think of. I’ve driven the Gucci model of the gas-powered 500, and it was definitely a girl.

Stay tuned.