Italian luxury automaker Alfa Romeo is gearing up for an all-electric future by 2027. The company plans to release its first electric car next year, followed by its first dedicated EV in 2025. Meanwhile, Alfa Romeo has more significant plans to take on Tesla in North America, including plans for a larger electric SUV in 2027.
Alfa Romeo plans for a larger electric SUV in the US
Under the Stellantis umbrella of brands, Alfa Romeo will be the first company to introduce an all-electric lineup.
Despite not having a fully electric vehicle out yet, Alfa Romeo says the launch of the Tonale, a plug-in hybrid SUV with 35 miles all-electric range, is the start of the automaker’s transition.
Earlier this year, at a Tonale launch event in Japan, Alfa Romeo’s CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato said that entering the E-segment in North America was critical. Imparto says its planning to make sportiness “the hallmark of its coming EVs” as it looks to differentiate in an ever-expanding market.
The company’s North American head, Larry Dominique, reiterated this stance speaking with The Drive. Dominique stated:
The E-segment … for America will be more utility than the sedan, and the Giulia replacement is [already] locked.
Alfa Romeo has already confirmed that the Guilia will go electric in 2025, which could offer ultrafast 800V charging (18 minutes max) and up to 1,000 hp.
The brand’s first fully electric vehicle is expected to be launched next year based on the Jeep Avenger, a small compact SUV. Its first dedicated EV, potentially the “Guilia EV,” will be launched the following year.
Differentiated electric lineup
As Stellantis works toward an all-electric lineup, it’s looking to carve a niche market out for itself rather than blending in with other automakers, like BMW. Dominique explained:
The fastest-growing premium vehicle in the U.S.—Tesla—is kicking everyone’s ass. We think of ourselves as different from the others. We just don’t want to blend in. We’re not a gray BMW… Our customers tell us they buy Alfas because “You’re not that.”
Although Tesla’s market share in the US has slipped with new electric models from nearly every automaker, it still controls over 62% after another record performance in the first quarter.
Alfa Romeo’s preference for small Euro-sized vehicles has made it a challenge for the brand to expand in the US, with less than 13,000 cars sold in the US last year.
The automaker hopes its upcoming E-segment electric SUV can spark growth, as Dominique said the upcoming car would be designed with US customers in mind, adding:
Details like [interior] size, features, packaging, cupholder [size], tech, etc. will be ideal for North America. The U.S. will represent 70% of the sales of this new vehicle, so it needs to bode well for the American audience.
The new electric SUV will be roughly the size of the BMW X5 and is expected to ride on Stellantis’s STLA Large platform, the same used for Ram’s first electric pickup, the Ram 1500 REV.
Author: Peter Johnson
Source: Electrek
