Fiat 500L auto models roll in to Port of Baltimore

The first shipment of Fiat 500L cars is expected to land at the Port of Baltimore on Friday afternoon, making it the only East Coast port to receive the vehicles.

The Italian automaker plans to import about 30,000 500L’s through the port over the next year, according to the Maryland Port Administration. Fiat’s small fleet of vehicles retail between $16,000 and $31,800.

Last year, the port handled 652,000 vehicles, more than any other port in the U.S., breaking a record of 551,000 cars set in 2011. About $54 billion of cargo — ninth most in the nation — crossed the port’s docks last year.