Watch out Tesla, the Italians are coming.
Famed Italian sports car brand, Maserati, is preparing for a bold new future of electrified vehicles. The company revealed in 2019 that it will offer all future models with an electric option, starting with an all-new sports car set to debut in May 2020, that is tipped to be based on the Alfieri concept of 2014.
While that car was expected to be the first battery-powered model from the brand, the company has now confirmed that the first all-electric Maserati will be the new GranTurismo and GrandCabrio models due in 2021. The company teased the new electric powertrain in a short video, while also revealing the company’s engineers are working to create a unique Maserati electric sound.
“Some experimental vehicles have now been built equipped with the new innovative powertrain, 100 per cent electric with 100 per cent Maserati technology, developed at the new Innovation Lab in Modena,” the company said in a statement.
“During this experimental phase, the sound that will characterise the electric engine will also be developed.
“The next full electric models will have a distinctive signature sound, already a unique attribute of all Maserati cars equipped with traditional combustion engines. Customers will therefore benefit from 100 per cent electric propulsion vehicles that will combine driving pleasure, comfort and performance with a unique and unmistakable sound.”
According to the company’s publicly revealed five-year road map released late in 2019, the GranCabrio will debut in 2022 followed shortly after by the new Quattroporte, with an all-new Levante SUV coming in 2023.
That suggests the new GranTurismo will be built on an all-new modular platform that will underpin all those model, allowing for electric versions of each. It’s unclear if the next-gen Quattroporte or Levante will be available with petrol or diesel-powertrain options.
The confirmation of the new sports cars launch in May and that the GranTurismo will be the “first cars to adopt 100 per cent electric solutions” indicates that the Alfieri (or whatever it’s called) could feature a plug-in hybrid powertrain. Maserati revealed photos of a “test mule” in November last year and said it was being used to develop a new powertrain.
We’ll keep you updated as more details come to light.
Is this a sign of progress or should all Italian sports cars have petrol power?
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