Meet Maserati’s first electric vehicle, the 2023 GranTurismo Folgore

Almost 100 years after the debut of Maserati’s first vehicle in Italy in 1926, the brand begins a new era with the all-electric GranTurismo Folgore. The $170,000 sports car with a 280-mile range will hit the market in 2023, along with two gas versions: the Modena and the Trofeo.

Maserati first announced the Folgore, which means “lightning” in Italian, in March and teased a prototype (Opens in a new window)in April. New details(Opens in a new window) provide details on the battery pack and engines that make the Folgore the most powerful of the three new GranTurismo models.

A 92.5kWh battery will power three 300kW motors, which deliver an astonishing 760bhp to the wheels. The car will go from zero to 62 mph in 2.7 seconds, topping out at a top speed of 199 mph, The Verge reports.(Opens in a new window). The competitive electric Porsche Taycan GTS Sport Turismo(Opens in a new window)owned by Bill Gates(Opens in a new window)it goes from zero to 60 in 3.5 seconds.

Maserati’s design team shaped the battery pack into a “T-bone” shape to maintain the traditional, low height of its sports cars — about 4′ 5.27″ tall, the Detroit News reports(Opens in a new window).

“The shape… avoids placing the battery units under the seats, mainly by moving them around the central tunnel and therefore significantly reduces the car’s H-point,” says the automaker(Opens in a new window).

GranTurismo Folgore Prototype (Credit: Maserati)

Maserati will offer electric versions of all its vehicles by 2025 and plans (Opens in a new window)to stop selling natural gas cars by 2030. After the GranTurismo Folgore, Maserati will launch the all-electric Grecale SUV. It is set to hit dealerships in the fall of 2023 under the same Folgore name—the “Maserati Grecale Folgore(Opens in a new window).”

It’s a big bet meant to continue a recent trajectory of strong sales for the Stellantis-owned brand. In 2021, Maserati sold 41% more cars than the previous year, delivering 24,269 vehicles worldwide. This helped increase its share of the luxury vehicle market to 2.4% (2.9% in North America, 2.7% in China) and bring in over 2 million euros in net income.

Maserati’s electric vehicles, the Grecale and GranTurismo, will be sold under the Folgore brand. (Credit: Maserati)

The GranTurismo Folgore will compete with other luxury electric sports cars like the 2023 Audi e-tron GT(Opens in a new window) and Porsche Taycan 2023(Opens in a new window). At $170,000, it will be one of the most expensive electric sports cars on the market.