Italian luxury automaker Maserati today unveiled the Grecale, the first all-electric SUV in the company's history. Electric vehicles are gaining in popularity worldwide, especially with the steep increase in gas prices in recent months. According to a report, Tesla has seen a 100 percent surge in orders recently due to the increasing gas prices, and the company is struggling to meet demands.
With EVs becoming more mainstream, all types of vehicles are getting the electric treatment, including SUVs. Jaguar, BMW, Mercedes and Audi all have at least one crossover electric SUV in the market, with many more in the pipeline. Some of the best and most popular luxury all-electric SUVs include the Audi e-Tron, Jaguar i-Pace, Mercedes-Benz EQC, BMW iX, etc. Maserati's upcoming model will join that list once it's available for purchase.
The Maserati Grecale will be sold in an all-electric avatar alongside traditional internal combustion models. According to the company, the new vehicle is part of its plans to become an EV-only brand by 2030 and will bear the brand name 'Folgore,' which is Italian for 'lightning.' According to a press release by Maserati, the Grecale Folgore will be a compact SUV and will come with a 400-volt architecture, similar to most EVs on the market. Alongside the full-electric model, which will launch in 2023, Maserati is also releasing the car with a hybrid powertrain and conventional internal combustion engines. The two mild-hybrid versions will be the GT and the Modena, while the gas-powered Trofeo model will come with a V6 engine.
The Maserati Grecale Folgore Arrives In 2023
While Maserati has not revealed many details about the all-electric Grecale, the company had earlier said that the vehicle would sit on its own EV platform and not share any existing EV platform with another car. The Grecale has been designed at the Maserati Innovation Lab in Modena and will be manufactured at the company's Cassino factory. Once the Grecale Folgore hits the market, it will compete with a slew of electric SUVs from other luxury brands, including the Porsche Taycan, the Rivian R1S, and some of the popular models from BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz, mentioned earlier.
Last week, in a press conference, Maserati CEO Davide Grasso said that the company is aiming to phase out its internal combustion lineup by 2030. However, the exact date might vary from one market to another, based on customer demand. As part of its EV-only plans, Maserati announced that its all-electric Folgore lineup would include the next-generation GranTurismo sports coupe and an electric version of the Levante alongside the Grecale. What's more, the company is also planning other luxury sports cars and convertibles under the Folgore brand in the coming years.
Source: Maserati