Maserati to Launch Its First Electric Vehicle in 2020

Don’t expect a Tesla rival, however

Maserati will be one of the last premium automakers to launch an electric vehicle, and that means the model would have to be very different from the competition to stand out.

That is why the Italian luxury brand doesn't want to build a mass-market EV to compete with Tesla models. Speaking with Car&Driver, Maserati engineering boss Roberto Fedeli said the brand's first ever electric vehicle wouldn't arrive before 2019.

"We are working to be ready with something that we can show during the next couple of years," Fedeli said. Maserati says its first EV will be specialized and low volume, probably a grand touring coupe.

"We will be last, and we have to arrive to the market with something different. Very different," Fedeli added. By the time Maserati launches its first electric model, the market will most likely be flooded with EVs from BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Lexus, Infiniti, and Volvo. Not to mention Tesla, which will have at least three models in its lineup by then.

Fedeli also said the sports car manufacturer wants its EV to feel like a Maserati, which means it must have sports car driving dynamics — unlike most EVs today that are too heavy to be fun to drive. For that to happen, Maserati would have to solve the problem of the batteries' weight on its EV, Fedeli added.

Note: Maserati Alfieri Concept pictured