Italian automaker Maserati is taking a significant step towards electric mobility with the launch of its new GranTurismo Folgore. The luxury car manufacturer has partnered with German supplier Bosch to offer access to the Bosch charging network, which includes approximately 700,000 charging points worldwide, by mid-2023.
The Bosch charging network provides access to 450,000 charge points in 30 European countries alone, with the recent agreement explicitly mentioning the Asia-Pacific region. Maserati drivers who register for the service will be able to access charging information via the in-car navigation system or in the app. Bosch has promised to integrate and display the charging service into the manufacturer’s “look and feel” of the infotainment system, both functionally and visually.
Apart from finding available charge points and information on surrounding amenities, Bosch will also list the costs and terms of use that apply at given charge points. Billing will be automatic, using the credit card details added to the app.
Dr Markus Heyn, chairman of Bosch’s Mobility Solutions business, expects a huge surge in growth for the company’s charging services business over the decade, as the need for comprehensive charging solutions increases alongside the growth of electromobility. By the end of the decade, Bosch expects its charging solutions business to expand by more than 50 per cent each year.
Maserati is one of the few luxury car manufacturers making significant strides towards electric mobility. By 2025, the Stellantis brand will offer a fully electric version for each model and, from 2030, will only sell electric cars. This electrification campaign is labelled Maserati Folgore, the Italian word for lightning.
Maserati presented the electric Gran Turismo in October 2022, but mainly in pictures. The sports coupé is due out this year and will still bear the trident logo air intake required only for combustion models, but will already do without suggested tailpipes at the rear. Additionally, 2023 will see the launch of the Folgore version of the Grecale SUV alongside the ICE version.
