In 2014, Maserati made a splash at the Geneva Motor Show when it debuted a two-seat concept vehicle called the Alfieri, a stunning sports car that was set to launch this year. But due to stricter regulations on car emissions, the ongoing production has pushed back the Alfieri's release date to 2019. Maserati has also confirmed, however, that one year later they will hit the electric vehicle market with an EV version of the much-awaited Alfieri.
According to Autoblog, European GM Peter Denton said the Maserati Alfieri is being built as a rival to the 911, although its size will be bigger, similar to a Jaguar F-Type vehicle. Both the gasoline-powered and electric Alfieri are being designed with a V6 engine, despite original plans to power the sportscar with a V8. The smaller engine allows Maserati to comply with requirements that limit a car's emissions.
No information has been released yet on the price and performance of the battery-electric Alfieri, but a streak of outstanding Italian-made luxury vehicles is giving auto experts high expections. This will be Maserati's first foray into the electric market, however, displaying a crack in the hesitation of its parent company Fiat to delve into EV production.
According to Car Magazine, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne was skeptical that his company could replicate the economic model used by Tesla, but eventually claimed that Fiat and Maserati were certainly capable of the same things Tesla has achieved. Tesla has received 400,000 pre-orders for its EV, and even Volkswagen has started to transition to electric cars after this year's diesel scandal, solidifying the notion that most automakers will likely have to make the switch at some point.
In the meantime, Masearti will be giving drivers an upgraded GranTurismo and GranTurismo Convertible to hold them down until the Alfieri's release, according to Motor Authority.
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