Stellantis is not abandoning its lesser-known brands in the shift to full electrification. In the case of Alfa Romeo, the path to zero-emissions begins this year with the Milano urban SUV, followed by a second all-electric vehicle in 2025. CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato confirmed the Alfa Romeo Giulia Electric during a factory visit in Italy, reported Automotive News Europe on April 4, 2022.
Imparato had stated that the company is open to the notion of launching the next-generation Giulia as an electric car. He was discussing the idea of launching the Quadrifoglio variant of all models with an electric version. An Alfa Romeo Giulia electric, he said, would make sense if it could provide the desired performance. And now, the project seems to have made further progress, with the looks and design of the Tesla Model 3 rival, finalized.
Design
The Alfa Romeo Giulia electric will retain the traditional sedan shape like the model that is currently on sale. The CEO of Alfa Romeo, Jean-Philippe Imparato, confirmed to Autocar UK magazine last year that despite sales of sedans declining, the company is keeping the Giulia as a traditional sedan.
Since EVs have to stay aerodynamic to extract the maximum range, and battery technology is still evolving, Imparato says that this silhouette will make a return. From the same report, we learn that the Giulia’s all-electric successor has been designed, and it, along with the all-electric Stelvio, will enter production before the end of 2026 at the Alfa Romeo Cassino Plant in Italy.
Specifications
Harald Wester, former Chief Engineering Officer of Stellantis, had confirmed that Alfa Romeo would use the STLA Medium platform for its EVs.
STLA Medium-based EVs will be designed to accommodate battery packs of up to 98 kWh capacity, enough to cover a distance of more than 700 km (435 miles). While front-drive propulsion would be the most popular layout of this platform, an all-wheel drive configuration with the addition of a second rear electric drive module is available. The latter would be fitting for Alfa-badged EVs.
Stellantis has said that STLA Medium models will use a 400-volt electrical system which will enable 20-80 percent charge in 27 minutes. Interestingly, Autocar UK has also received confirmation of a performance-spec Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifolio electric variant that will generate “around 1000 hp” – nearly twice the 503 bhp of the current twin-turbo V6 model. This variant could use a special application of the STLA Medium.
Higher quality
The Alfa Romeos of the future, the Giulia electric being no exception, should be higher quality products compared. Alfa Romeo has set Lexus as its benchmark for quality, Imparato said during the Tonale media drive, Automotive News reported on May 19, 2022.
Alfa Romeo isn’t always associated with quality, while Lexus usually tops independent studies in this aspect. In J.D. Power’s 2023 U.S. Initial Quality Study that involved 35 companies, the Italian brand ranked third, ahead of Lexus, Mercedes, BMW, Genesis, Audi, etc, which indicated that it had made changes to the attention paid to vehicle quality.
J.D. Power noted that it was the first time that Alfa Romeo led the premium brands in the initial quality study. Moreover, the Stelvio topped the compact Premium SUV category, pipping the BMW X4 and the Cadillac XT4. Improved quality would increase customer satisfaction and lead to better resale values, and Alfa would be keen to stay on this path with the Giulia electric.
Alfa Romeo Giulia Electric release date
Imparato stated that the Giulia nameplate would celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2025. It would make sense for the brand to begin the next phase for the Giulia at that juncture. The CEO also confirmed the arrival of Alfa Romeo’s first electric crossover, larger than the Stelvio, by 2027.
2025 will be presented the first vehicle offered exclusively in 100% electric version.
Alfa Romeo’s announcement (translated) on December 14, 2023, posted on the Stellantis Media Italian portal
Stellantis wants Alfa Romeo to be a 100 percent electric brand in Europe, North America, and China by 2027. In 2025 and 2026, the business will introduce new models, which Imparato refers to as “major launches.”
Alfa Romeo Giulia sales in the U.S.
Alfa Romeo managed to sell 3,461 units of the Giulia in 2023 in the United States, a 32% drop in sales compared to 2022 when the brand sold 5,092 units. The Giulia is a key pillar of Alfa Romeo’s American operations as the Italian brand has just four models in its portfolio, including the newcomer Tonale.
An automobile engineer by training, I’ve analyzed the global car market since 2005, with a keen focus on EVs since 2008. My journey in online automotive publishing spans 16 years, during which I have reviewed cutting-edge automotive technologies and interviewed leading CEOs and vehicle developers from around the world.
