What's all this about?

Maserati has announced its plans to switch from petrol to electric power, with the transition beginning next year. The first electric Maserati – and therefore the first member of the brand’s Folgore electric range – will be the GranTurismo, which will arrive in 2023 using technology honed in Formula E, while there will also be a new electric version of the Grecale SUV arriving next year. From there, Maserati says it will offer electric versions of every model in its range by 2025, before going electric-only in 2030.

Every model?

Yep, once the electric GranTurismo and Grecale have been launched in 2023, Maserati will set about revealing new, zero-emission versions of the MC20 supercar, the new Quattroporte saloon and the Levante SUV. By 2025, the company aims to have an electric version of every model, although those electric vehicles will still be sold alongside their more conventionally powered siblings.

It’s only in 2030 that Maserati plans to go all-electric, but then that’s when Boris Johnson’s ambitious ban on the sale of new petrol- and diesel-powered cars will come into force, too, so that won’t affect the UK market too much. If anything, it’s good news, because it means the entirety of the Maserati range can still be offered to UK customers after the ban comes into force. British customers won’t be missing out on anything.

Can electric cars still be proper Maseratis?

Maserati seems to think so, but then it would. The Italian brand says this drive towards electrification is part of parent company Stellantis’ “Dare Forward 2030” strategic plan, but despite the Franco-Italian company’s influence, all Maserati’s new models will still be developed, engineered and produced in Italy. Furthermore, the company says its electric powertrains will bring “great innovation and high performance”, both of which it describes as “typical of Maserati’s DNA”.

How is Maserati funding this?

Maserati claims its Folgore range will be “bolstered” by the latest financial results for 2021. According to the brand, it brought in net revenues of €2 billion, with adjusted operating income standing at 5.1%. In total, the brand delivered more than 24,000 new cars last year, an increase of 41 percent compared with 2020. That meant global market share grew to 2.4 percent, with China and North America leading the way, at 2.7% and 2.9% respectively. However, the brand says the new Folgore models will “attract the new luxury consumer in all market segments”.