Maserati is likely to offer all future models with hybrid powertrains, with the exception of the range-topping Alfieri sports car due on sale in 2018.
Until now the firm has been ambivalent about electrification. Boss Harald Wester said in 2013 that EVs were “nonsense”, backing up his argument with statistics suggesting that producing, powering and disposing of electric cars resulted in more CO2 than the most efficient combustion-engined cars.
At the time he said: “If we want a realistic solution then the regulators need to be more honest in how they calculate emissions. Electric cars are not the answer.”
However, Maserati is now set to introduce plug-in hybrid variants of the Maserati Quattroporte, GranTurismo, GranCabrio and Maserati Ghibli, in order to meet average emissions targets by 2020.
It's already known that the upcoming Levante SUV will be offered with plug-in hybrid powertrain options.
Giulio Pastore, Maserati’s European general manager, said: “We have to do it - it’s that simple. In some countries where it is highly incentivised, they will be a success, in others maybe less so, but there is government and customer demand for such cars.
“What I can say is that we will only electrify our cars if it can be done without sacrificing performance. If there’s a sacrifice, then we won’t do it.”
