The 2024 Maserati Grecale Folgore is the fulfillment of a pledge. When the luxury vehicle manufacturer introduced the Grecale crossover SUV two years ago, it promised a battery-electric version in the future.
The Grecale Folgore was worth the wait. No gas-powered model can match the silence and smoothness of the Grecale Folgore. The effortless power is delivered by its front and rear, which each contribute 279 horsepower for a total of 558 horsepower.
This vaults the Folgore (Maserati applies this label to the EV versions of its cars) to 62 mph (100 kph) in 4.1 seconds, despite the car’s 5,456-lb. curb weight. Top speed is rated at 138 mph, which is obviously plenty, even if it doesn’t live up to Maserati’s legendary speed capability. Blame ‘70s rocker Joe Walsh for his “My Maserati does 185, I lost my license, now I don’t drive” lyric for the inflated expectations.
A need for (charging) speed
But the Grecale is speedy in a specification that is more relevant in the age of electric cars: charging. Its DC fast-charging speed is a conventional 150 kilowatts, which is supported by many public charging stations. This will bring the car’s 105-kW 400-volt battery pack from a 20 percent state of charge to 80 percent in less than 30 minutes.
The unexpected part is that the Grecale Folgore’s on-board charger–the one that handles AC current from your home wall box or from Level 2 AC public charging stations–can handle 22 kW, which is double the current level that most EVs top out at.
My own ChargePoint home charging station tops out at 9.6 kW. But Maserati will provide Grecale owners with a 22-kW box for their homes to support the vehicle. Users will need the box to deliver that much power from their home’s electrical system, which may require extra work by electricians. It will be worth the extra effort, as it should top off the battery in less than five hours–instead of the more typical nine…
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