Maserati Launches EV and AV Strategy
Maserati has set out its electrification and autonomous driving technologies strategy with the pledge to put electrified powertrains in all new models built in Italy.
The carmaker will draw on its parent company’s €5Bn ($5.4Bn) investment program for Italy previously announced by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) for Italian technology development. The plans include electrified products constructed at Maserati plants in Modena, Cassino and Turin (Mirafiori and Grugliasco).
In concert with the powertrain pledge, all new models will offer a range of autonomous driving capabilities, starting with Maserati Level 2 enhanced Highway Assist progressing to Level 3 with hands-off potential where permitted claiming to offer close to full autonomy with the ability to maneuver in and out of lanes or bring the vehicle to a safe stop at the side of the road if the driver is unable to take control.
The automaker says the Maserati Ghibli, produced in Turin, will be the first hybrid electric propulsion for the brand to be market ready by 2020. Its first electrified sportscar will emerge from its Modena plant where major production line upgrades are also underway to accommodate its powertrain.
A new SUV is set to be built at Cassino where about €800M ($878M) has been earmarked for the construction of the new production line, scheduled to open at the end of the first quarter of 2020. The first pre-series cars are expected to roll off the line by 2021. New electrified models of the GranTurismo and GranCabrio will be produced at the Turin production hub, where FCA will match the Cassino investment.
— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in London. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_
