Maserati has unveiled the Folgore electric vehicle lineup, which includes a next-generation GranTurismo sports coupe, an electric version of the best-selling Levante, the all-new Grecale SUV, and a number of other luxury sports cars and convertibles. By 2025, the company plans to offer electric versions of all of its models, and by 2030, it plans to sell only electric vehicles.
Maserati CEO Davide Grasso told reporters at a press conference that the automaker plans to phase out internal-combustion engine vehicles by 2030, though this will be dependent on individual markets and customer demand.
The target date of 2030, according to Grasso, “is the landing spot.” “It will have a different speed in different parts of the world, depending on how quickly different markets move toward an electrified future, which is already here.”
Maserati claims to be the “first luxury brand to complete its electric lineup by 2025,” based on that timeline. Other luxury sports car manufacturers, such as Porsche, Ferrari, and Lamborghini, have also announced electrification 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 loud, rumbling V8 and V12 engines.
Maserati was no exception for many years. The company has been rumored to be working on an electric vehicle for some time, but has never actually done so. This is most likely due to its parent company, Fiat Chrysler (now Stellantis), which, under the late Sergio Marchionne’s leadership, largely ignored EVs.
Maserati announced a range of electric models in 2019, including battery-powered versions of the GranTurismo sports coupe and GranCabriolet convertible, as well as an unnamed electric sports car and an electric SUV. Maserati revealed a hybrid version of the Ghibli sedan last year, but it will only be sold in Europe.
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Those plans are starting to take shape. Folgore’s GranTurismo coupe will be the company’s first electric vehicle. The electric sports coupe will be built at Maserati’s Mirafiori plant in Turin, which recently underwent a 700 million euro ($807 million) upgrade to prepare it for electric vehicle production. The GranTurismo, which will use Formula E-derived powertrain technology, will go on sale in 2023.
The electric GranTurismo appears to be a high-performance beast, with “way over” 1,200 horsepower, a 0-100 km/h (62 mph) time of just over 2 seconds, and a top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph). To increase its speed, the vehicle will be made of lightweight materials. Maserati claims that three distinct electric motors will enable “best in class” handling.
Maserati will unveil the Grecale SUV, a brand new electric vehicle, later this month. Although there are few details at this time, the vehicle is expected to hit the market in 2023. The Grecale “will be a benchmark in terms of range, performance, acceleration, charging time, top speed — everything,” said Francesco Tonon, global head of product planning.
The MC20 Spyder, a sister vehicle to the automaker’s ultra-luxury sports car, the new Quattroporte four-door sport sedan, and an electric version of the automaker’s best-selling Levante SUV will be added to the Folgore lineup in the coming months.
As it transitions to electric vehicles, Maserati, like all sports car brands, will have to deal with the loss of one of its key characteristics: noisy engines. Some automakers have added fake sounds to compensate for the lack of a growling internal-combustion engine, but Maserati has stated that it will not do so. “Because we are about authenticity,” Tonon said, “the Maserati sound is not fake.”
The company also confirmed plans to develop Level 3 autonomous technology for its Quattroporte sedan, which means the car will be able to drive itself on certain roads, most likely highways, without human supervision.
