Maserati introduced the Folgore all-electric vehicle range, which includes a next-generation GranTurismo sports coupe, an electric version of the best-selling Levante, the all-new Grecale SUV, and many additional luxury sports cars and convertibles. The business stated that by 2025, it will provide electric versions of all of its vehicles and will transition to EV-only sales by 2030.
Maserati CEO Davide Grasso told reporters at a press conference that the automaker will likewise strive to phase out sales of internal-combustion engine vehicles by 2030, however this will depend on particular markets and customer desire.
« That’s the landing site, » Grasso remarked of the 2030 deadline. « It will effect different parts of the world at different rates, depending on how quickly different markets move toward an electrified future, which is now upon us. »
Maserati pledges to be the « first premium brand to complete its electric lineup by 2025 » with that timetable in mind. Other luxury sports vehicle manufacturers, such as Porsche, Ferrari, and Lamborghini, have announced their own electric plans. (With the Taycan, Porsche has already released its first model.) However, the transition to electrification has been slower among luxury automakers, as most still value noisy, growling V8 and V12 engines.
Maserati was no exception for many years. For a long time, the corporation has been rumored to be working on an electric vehicle, but has never really done so. This is most likely owing to its parent firm, Fiat Chrysler (now Stellantis), which, under the late Sergio Marchionne’s leadership, mostly neglected EVs.
Maserati reversed course in 2019, introducing a lineup of electric cars that included battery-powered versions of its GranTurismo sports coupe and GranCabriolet convertible, as well as an unidentified electric sports car and an electric SUV. Maserati revealed last year that a hybrid version of the Ghibli sedan will be available only in Europe.
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Those plans are finally becoming clearer. The GranTurismo coupe will be the first EV to be released by Folgore. The electric sports coupe will be built at Maserati’s Mirafiori facility in Turin, Italy, which recently had a 700 million euro ($807 million) refurbishment to prepare it for electric car manufacturing. The GranTurismo, which will utilise Formula E powertrain technology, will go on sale in 2023.
According to the preliminary specifications, the electric GranTurismo will be a high-performance beast: « far over » 1,200 horsepower; 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in just over 2 seconds; and a top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph). To increase speed, the vehicle will be composed of lightweight materials. Maserati claims that three separate electric motors will offer « best in class » handling.
Maserati will debut a whole new EV, the Grecale SUV, later this month. Although details are scarce at the moment, the vehicle is slated to go on sale in 2023. The Grecale, according to Francesco Tonon, worldwide head of product planning, « will be a benchmark in terms of range, performance, acceleration, charging time, top speed — everything. »
The rest of the Folgore lineup, including the MC20 Spyder, a sister vehicle to the automaker’s ultra-luxury sports car, the new Quattroporte four-door performance sedan, and an electric version of the automaker’s best-selling Levante SUV, will be added in the coming months.
Maserati, like many sports car brands, will have to deal with the loss of one of its distinguishing features as it transitions to electric vehicles. Some automakers have added artificial sounds to compensate for the lack of a growling internal-combustion engine, but Maserati has stated that it will not do so. « The Maserati sound is not false, » Tonon explained, « because we value authenticity. »
The business also announced ambitions to develop Level 3 autonomous technology for its Quattroporte sedan, which means the vehicle would be able to drive itself on specified roads, most likely highways, without human supervision.
« Some may believe that because it is a car for drivers, we are not considering autonomous driving, but this is not the case, » Tonon explained.
