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Alfa Romeo and Maserati promise a salvo of high-performance EVs

Ronan Glon
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Alfa Romeo 8C sketch
Alfa Romeo 8C sketch Image used with permission by copyright holder

Critics often denounce Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) for not investing in electrification. The company listened carefully, and it outlined how it plans to become a cleaner automaker in the bold five-year plan it presented outside of Turin, Italy.

Electrification plays a key role in the plan. FCA will spend millions in the coming years to develop four modular electric powertrains called City Car, Mainstream, Performance, and Premium, respectively. The names are self-explanatory. The City Car setup will power small models like the next-generation of the Fiat 500, according to Autocar. The Mainstream will find its way into models like the Jeep Grand Commander, a three-row SUV made and sold in China. The Performance and Premium configurations will power Maserati models aimed at the likes of Tesla and Porsche.

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Maserati has arguably the most interesting electrification offensive in the works. Remember the 2014 Alfieri concept? It’s finally on its way to production, and it will run alongside the upcoming second-generation Tesla Roadster thanks to a battery-electric drivetrain made up of three motors. Maserati predicts a zero-to-60 time of about two seconds, a figure that, if achieved, will make it one of the quickest cars in the world. Alfieri buyers will also be able to purchase the model — which will come as a coupe and as a convertible — with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain.

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The replacements for the Levante and the Quattroporte will also offer battery-electric and plug-in options. Both are scheduled to arrive around the turn of the decade.

Maserati Alfieri EV sketch
Electric Maserati Alfieri sketch Image used with permission by copyright holder

Jeep will offer an electrified version of every model it makes by 2021. On a global scale, it will introduce 10 plug-in hybrids and four battery-electric cars. We don’t know what those will be yet but the same plan calls for the launch of an array of new models including a sub-Renegade crossover we likely won’t get in the United States, a pair of three-row SUVs sold alongside the two-row variants of the Cherokee and the Grand Cherokee, and a flagship model that will revive the storied Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer nameplates.

Alfa Romeo will not introduce an electric car in the next five years. The company nonetheless announced a range-topping supercar named 8C powered by a 700-horsepower, twin-turbocharged engine mounted behind the passenger compartment and an electric motor over the front axle. Enthusiasts will welcome the return of the GTV nameplate to the Alfa family. Essentially a two-door Giulia, the Italian firm’s answer to the BMW M4 will boast a 600-horsepower drivetrain with an electric turbocharger designed to eliminate turbo lag.

FCA’s product plan lacked information about the Fiat, Chrysler, Dodge and Lancia brands. If, when, how, and where they’ll adopt electrification remains up in the air.

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Ronan Glon
Ronan Glon
Contributor
Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…
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