Maserati says it’s working on an electric vehicle for 2020 unlike anything you’ve seen

By Lulu Chang Published October 9, 2016

2017 Maserati Quattroporte GranLusso — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Today it’s known for its high-end luxury sports cars, but by 2020 (or “maybe 2019”), Maserati hopes to offer its wealthy consumers something that not only costs a lot of green, but is green itself — an electric vehicle. Sure, by the time its version rolls around, electric cars may not be nearly as buzzworthy as they are today. After all, the Italian carmaker is already a bit late to the game in announcing its own EV plans. But as the company’s engineering lead Roberto Fedeli told Car and Driver, Maserati isn’t worried about doing things first, but more about doing them better than anyone else.

“We will be last (with a production EV), and we have to arrive to the market with something different,” Fedeli said. “Very different.” As such, Maserati has no interest in taking cues from other makers, and certainly won’t be making a Telsa copycat.

Recommended Videos

“A Tesla fighter probably [is] not a good idea,” he mused, and then added, “I don’t think that Tesla is the best product in the market but they are doing 50,000 cars a year. The execution and quality of the products of Tesla are the same as a German OEM in the 1970s. Their solutions are not the best.” Those are some fighting words if we ever heard any.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

So how will Maserati engineer a best-in-class solution? Part of it, Fedeli said, will be to make it feel like a Maserati. “Acceleration for three seconds, maximum, and that’s all the emotion that is found. After that there is nothing,” he lamented, commenting on the weight of most EVs today. “The EV is something different and we have to [give] the car [Maserati character].”

Ultimately, Fedeli hopes to create a car that is not only green and efficient, but also on-brand with the signature Maserati sports car feel. Consistency, Fedeli said, is absolutely key, and “needs to be solved” come 2020.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…

Computing

This DIY, triple-monitor PC is a portable all-in-one unlike any you’ve ever seen

The DIY Portable All-In-One PC.

All-in-one computers can simplify desk setups by cramming everything into the monitor. However, they're not so easy to lug around, while laptops are limited in terms of power. Now, someone has figured out a way to make a portable all-in-one computer with no compromises on performance.

Oh, and it also has a triple monitor setup, too.

Mobile

Vivo’s innovative Apex 2020 concept phone is unlike anything we’ve seen before

Vivo Apex

The Apex 2020 smartphone, made by Chinese brand Vivo, includes some extraordinary tech never seen anywhere else and is an exciting glimpse at what the company may build into some of its future devices. Like what, you ask? An invisible selfie camera, ultra-fast wireless charging, a continuous optical zoom camera, and a state-of-the-art image stabilization system for super steady video.

vivo APEX 2020 | Welcome to a Vision Beyond

Cars

Honda unveils sleek electric sedan and SUV prototypes at CES 2025

Honda 0 Saloon and Honda 0 SUV prototypes.

Honda’s next-generation electric vehicles are a step closer to production. At CES 2025, the automaker unveiled prototypes of the 0 Saloon and 0 SUV, the first two of its 0 Series EVs that will start rolling off assembly lines in Ohio next year.

The two EVs follow 0 Series concept cars Honda unveiled at CES 2024. These are closer to what buyers can expect to see in showrooms, hence the label of “prototype” rather than “concept.” How close exactly? When Honda unveils a prototype, that vehicle generally makes the transition to production with minimal changes. But that would be particularly remarkable here.
They still look like concept cars