“The electric car is neither a marketing phenomenon nor the mere consequence of increasingly strict emissions legislation. The electric car is a product in itself: It exists on the market because the market demands it. ”Teodoro Lio, European Automotive & Mobility Manager at Accenture, opened the“ Sustainability and Electricity ”round table at the Motor Valley Fest 2021, moderated by Director of Motor1.com and InsideEVs.it, Alessandro Lago.
And if the electric car is first and foremost a car, where better to develop it if not in the cradle of the most powerful and popular cars in the world, namely in the Italian Motor Valley? Where there are excellent skills and, above all, the ability to create a system that the world will envy. There’s an unprecedented base there to become the center of the world for high-end electric cars, as demonstrated by the Chinese Faw’s mega-investment.
Natural evolution
Davide Danesin, GT Line Global Executive at Maserati, shares this opinion and says: “The electric car is not a revolution, it is an evolution of the concept of the car. Designing electric models isn’t just another job. New skills have to be developed and new problems to be solved, but the knowledge that a manufacturer like Maserati has learned through decades of research is fundamental. “
“The automotive world has always evolved and we’ve always been there,” he adds, “today evolution revolves around zero emissions, but we’re not at a breaking point: we’re adding new things to our established legacy.”
Maserati is starting the world of electric cars next year with the GranTurismo Folgore. This is one of the most representative models of the Trident brand and the decision to start with this car carries a clear message: even if it is battery operated, it will be a car that fully corresponds to the DNA of this Modena-based company. “It is also offered with an endothermic drive – explains Danesin – but there will be a great match between the two energy sources and a great respect for our past.”
Electric invasion
The arrival of the Maserati GranTurismo Folgore is part of a larger trend. A large number of zero-emission sports cars will come onto the market by 2025. By 2025, one third of hypercars will be electric and another third will be electrified.
Because the customer base targeting these niche markets is also changing. They want to continue to drive high-performance models, but they also want to experience them as the key to entering a new world that arouses curiosity and projects them into the future. The Motor Valley can also play a leading role in this process and drive an evolution that is supported by Ferrari, Lamborghini, Pagani and Dallara alongside Maserati. Important names that will change the entire industry profoundly.
How the store changes
The launch of so many powerful electric cars will bring new demands on charging. Since sports cars tend to have larger batteries, it becomes even more important to use ultra-fast charge rates. Federico Caleno, Head of e-Mobility Italy at Enel X, and Antonio Gioia, E-Mobility Sales Manager at A2A, outlined for us how Italy’s infrastructure will develop.
“In the last 2 years”, says Caleno, “we wanted to offer a homogeneous coverage on the national territory with 13,000 points at 500 stations”.
“We will arrive with 3,000 such stands in 2025,” he explains, “and now that we have eliminated the fear of running out of petrol, we are now working on long journeys. That is why we have just sent a document to all concessionaires to the Italian motorway network declaring our willingness to install charging stations at all 440 petrol stations in Italy.
A2A, based in Lombardy, is going in the same direction: “We started the first experiments with car manufacturers in 2010,” emphasizes Gioia, “and we have started installing charging stations in the two largest cities in Lombardy, Brescia and Milan We have also mainly worked on 50 kW, but now we are preparing for an expansion plan that will be presented to us all over Italy in 2030: We will increase from the current 700 charging points to 6,000, including rapid charging on motorways, bypasses and motorways ” .
Motorcycles too
Modena is also home to Energica Motor Company, a company that specializes in the manufacture of high-performance electric motorcycles. Giampiero Testoni, CTO of the company, explains how the needs of a green motorcyclist differ from those of a motorist: “The customer of an electric motorcycle is a motorcyclist. He is a person who is primarily looking for performance, who loves technology, but wants to experience the typical emotions of a traditional motorcycle. Our customer is looking for curves. “
In order to ensure easy charging, we must therefore think about an infrastructure that is also available on mountain roads, on the routes traveled by motorcyclists. “Our motorcycles go from 0 to 100 in 2.6 seconds,” says Testoni. “When a motorcyclist tries them out, he always smiles when he takes off his helmet. But tools like a proper charging network in places frequented by motorcyclists can go a long way.”
Motor Valley and Digital Valley
In conclusion, let’s go back to Lio’s words: “I often provoke. Up until now the auto industry has been a ‘simple’ world. You designed, produced, sold a model and then never thought about it again. Now we are dealing with more complex ecosystems that have the advantage of a much larger market area. The automotive world is valued at $ 3.5 trillion. The mobility market will double that value at $ 7 trillion by 2030, technology, digitization. Think of autonomous driving or shared mobility. “
This is what Italy’s Motor Valley needs to focus on. The combination of excellence in this emerging field with new professional skills will drive the region to assert itself on a global scale and become Motor Valley, to quote Lio’s words: “A Digital Valley, a Cyber Valley, and a Sustainable Valley “. Because in order to build an electric car, you first have to know how to build a car, a car that now also has to be digital, connected and green.
Watch the video of the interview
