Behind the Wheel of the 2024 Maserati Grecale Folgore EV

When I first drove the Maserati Grecale in 2022, the company promised to deliver a battery-electric version called the Grecale Folgore, using the very same platform as the combustion-powered model.

Now Maserati is ready to deliver that EV to customers who anxiously await the sporty crossover SUV in an all-electric version.  Dual 279-horsepower electric motors ensure Maserati-like performance, with an estimated 0-60 mph acceleration time of less than 4.1 seconds.

The Grecale Folgore (“Folgore” is the name Maserati is applying to all of its electrified models) boasts numerous interesting technical features, the most significant of which may be its use of large-scale castings in its Giorgio-platform chassis in place of the stamped sheetmetal used on earlier Giorgio-based vehicles such as the Alfa Romeo Stelvio crossover, Alfa Romeo Guilia sedan, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV.

The Grecale Folgore's large-scale cast platform and electric drivetrain. DAN CARNEY

All Grecale Folgores enjoy the computer-controlled air suspension system that is optional on combustion-powered Grecales. Active suspension control is crucial to providing a balance between ride and handling while managing the mass of the battery in EVs. Maserati’s Chassis Domain Control Module (CDCM) manages the air suspension system proactively, rather than reactively, the company says.

We saw the penalty for getting this control wrong in the Rivian R1S, which has a miserably harsh ride. The Kia EV9, on the other hand, has a better ride, but gets noticeably ruffled by sharp bumps like bridge expansion joints. The Grecale demonstrated both a good ride and body control while traversing narrow Italian country roads with some rough edges, so the CDCM system seems to be well calibrated.

The driver can help shift the computer’s calculations in the direction they prefer by choosing among  the available Max Range, GT, Sport, and Off-Road drive mode settings. I only tested the on-road settings during the test drive, and found that the ride remains good throughout all of them.

The Grecale's computer-controlled air suspension. DAN CARNEY

Response to the accelerator pedal gets touchier as you progress from Max Range, to GT, and Sport, and the miles per kilowatt efficiency drops as the Grecale gets racier. But unlike vehicles that can get so sluggish in efficiency mode that it feels like there’s a problem, Grecale Folgore drives in Max Range mode with good responsiveness. Top speed in Max Range mode is 82 mph, but going fast is the easiest way to experience Minimum Range, so that speed limitation in that mode seems insignificant.

With the car spending most of its time in that mode, I saw it deliver a driving range that is about 93.5 percent of the rated 310-mile driving range, while starting from a 96 percent state of charge on the 105-kilowatt lithium-ion battery pack, so the efficiency was excellent. Most of these miles were on lower-speed rural byways, not on the high-speed autostrada.

The Grecale Folgore in its coppery signature color, called Rame Folgore. It is meant to evoke the copper wiring in EVs. DAN CARNEY

Grecale’s battery supports 150-kW fast charging, which Maserati says will boost the pack from 20 percent to 80 percent in less than 30 minutes. I have yet to test a vehicle that actually achieves its’ manufacturer’s claims for charging time, even in mild conditions like those of my test drive.

Maserati is providing Folgore buyers with a home charging station that can charge the vehicle at an impressive 22 kW, which is double that of very good Level 2 AC home chargers, which tend to top out at 11 kW. However, it takes a lot of power for the charging station to provide 22 kW, so an electrician will almost certainly need to do a bit of work on the home’s electric system to support the 100-amp service necessary to provide that. Having the ability to top off the Folgore’s battery in only five hours seems like a benefit that will be worth the effort at some point during the ownership period.

The impressive 22-kW home charger that Maserati includes with the Grecale Folgore. DAN CARNEY

The Grecale also features the gadgets consumers want, so there’s wireless charging and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support for the 12.3-inch central infotainment display. The small circular display in the center of the dashboard normally shows the time, either in analog or digital form, but also can pop up a display of the battery state. When you lay a phone on the wireless charging pad, a lightning bolt image briefly replaces the clock face to confirm that the phone is charging.

Maybe one day it will be equally easy to charge the car itself!