Update: ‘Conventional design’ section added.
The Alfa Romeo Stelvio Electric is among the brand’s new model launches in the next five years that includes a compact crossover, and an Alfa Romeo Giulia EV. Recently, Auto Express and Auto Zeitung have reported some details.
Dual powertrain strategy
First things first, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio is unlikely to go electric-only from the second generation, as that could be detrimental to its sales. The German auto magazine’s speculation, and the general expectation, is that customers would get to select between a plug-in hybrid variant and a pure electric variant.
STLA Medium/Large platform
FCA had developed an all-new platform last decade, called Giorgio, hoping it would launch 15 models across brands on this base. However, this platform currently underpins only the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Alfa Romeo Stelvio. Though it supports electrification and an evolution of it is being used by Maserati for the Grecale Folgore, Stellantis has decided to dump it in favor of the new bespoke STLA Family platforms.
In a conference call with journalists, Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato indicated that future Alfa Romeo models would ride on the STLA Large platform, as per a Forbes report published in April 2021. However, at the Stellantis EV Day 2021 in July 2021, Harald Wester, Chief Engineer Officer, Stellantis, suggested that it will be the STLA Medium platform that will be Alfa Romeo’s backbone. He said:
STLA Medium was designed for our premium DS and Alfa Romeo vehicles. STLA Large is dedicated to a wide variety of SUVs, a highly innovative electrified pickup truck, and the next generation of American muscle cars with breakthrough performances.
Harald Wester, Chief Engineering Officer, Stellantis (Stellantis EV Day 2021)
Specifications
STLA Medium-based EVs will come with 87-104 kWh of installed energy storage capacity. It’s safe to assume that net or used energy storage capacity would be slightly lower to ensure a long life. Stellantis’ estimate for the maximum possible zero-emission range with the STLA Medium platform is 700 km or 435 miles. That figure will probably apply to a low-height and sleek model, such as a sedan or a coupe. The Alfa Romeo Stelvio Electric’s maximum range could fall between 500 and 600 km (311-373 miles) instead in the WLTP metric.
Stellantis plans to mostly deploy 125-180 kW (168-241 hp) Electric Drive Modules (EDMs) in the STLA Medium platform-based EVs, but in some applications, it will pick units of the STLA Large platform-based EV, which offer 150-330 kW (201-442 hp). While the exact configuration planned for the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Electric is a mystery, we’re positive that a dual-motor powertrain with more than 500 horsepower will be available in a go-fast Quadrifoglio (QV) variant.
The gas-powered 505-hp Stelvio Quadrifoglio, which Alfa Romeo proudly markets as “the fastest SUV available in the U.S.,” does 0-60 mph in just 3.6 seconds and offers a 176 mph top speed. The Alfa Romeo Stelvio EV Quadrifoglio should be heavier and need large motors to offer similar or better performance.
Conventional design
Many automakers, particularly premium and luxury brands, see the transition to EVs as the perfect time to introduce major changes in design, some even radical or offbeat, but Alfa Romeo is not one of them. When Top Gear asked Alfa Romeo’s Design Director Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos how electrification will influence the design of cars, he said that while the source of power will change, the character, the style, and the values will be the same.
Alfa Romeo doesn’t want its EVs to look different just because they are electric. It’s important to the design chief that every Alfa Romeo, electric or not, looks like an Alfa Romeo. Maserati, also an Italian brand with a rich heritage and owned by Stellantis, seems to have the same philosophy. That’s at least what the design of the Maserati GranTurismo Folgore indicates.
Alfa Romeo Stelvio Electric release date & competitors
3 electric Alfa crossover-SUVs in the pipeline
As per the German publication’s information, the second-gen Alfa Romeo Stelvio may debut at the end of 2024, but its electric sibling will take longer to emerge. More recent news from other magazines states that the Alfa Romeo Brennero will be the brand’s first EV. Due in 2024, the Brennero will be a small SUV, also available with an internal combustion engine.
According to a report from Auto Express, the Alfa Romeo Giulia Electric, developed as an electric car from the ground up, may follow in 2025. According to a report from Automotive News Europe, Imparato has told journalists that Alfa Romeo also plans to launch an electric SUV larger than the Stelvio, connoting a Tesla Model X rival in 2027 that should assume the role of the brand’s flagship EV.
Alfa Romeo Stelvio Electric FAQs
What is the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Electric release date?
As per media reports, the Stelvio EV is expected in mid-decade.
What are the Stelvio EV’s competitors?
The Stelvio Electric could rival the likes of Tesla Model Y, Audi Q6 e-tron, and the Mercedes EQC.
What is the expected Alfa Romeo Stelvio electric price?
In the U.S., the Stelvio EV could have a starting price north of USD 60,000.
Featured image: Alfa Romeo
I got my Master’s in Business Management & Administration and have been an International Automotive News Editor since 2014. I’ve traveled to global motor shows and automotive events, driven various types of vehicles, and focused on hybrid and electric cars in the last 4 years.
