Volvo seems to have set a precedent. The Swedish luxury marque announced plans for all of its future cars to feature some sort of electrification, whether it be a dedicated battery-electric or a plug-in hybrid powertrain. Now, Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has announced a similar initiative for Maserati.
During a conference call with investors, Marchionne stated all Maseratis past the 2019 model year would feature electrified powertrains. It's big news from an automaker that has shied away from embracing pure electric and plug-in hybrid powertains. The strategy thus far has been on purpose, according to Marchionne.
The FCA CEO said electrification is "an integral part of the development of the [Fiat Chrysler] group," and added, "we [FCA] have been reluctant to embrace that avenue until we saw clearer the path forward."
Marchionne's grand electrification plan will kick off in 2019 and subside in 2022. By then, half of FCA's portfolio of vehicles will be electrified with Maserati leading the way, per the executive.
Marchionne went on to say, "When [Maserati] completes the development of its next two models, it will effectively switch all of its portfolio to electrification."
The CEO's insight follows last year's report, which had Maserati engineering boss Roberto Fedeli on the record saying 2020 is the earliest timetable for an electric car. However, he also went on to describe the challenges Maserati faces with electrification.
How Maserati plans to keep its character intact remains to be seen as it moves to electrified cars only. However, a production version of the stunning Alfieri concept is rumored to be the brand's first electric car. With the Alfieri's looks, Maserati's image won't be totally lost to the electric revolution.