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Maserati's first all-electric powertrain sounds like a bat out of hell

The automaker is hard at work developing a signature sound for its future cars.

Late last year, gave us its roadmap for electrification, giving us an idea of when and how the Chrysler subsidiary plans to add electric motors to its vehicles. While we wait for the fruits of Maserati's efforts to show up, the OEM has given us a bit of an aural teaser.

Maserati this week uploaded a video of its first all-electric powertrain in development. The automaker says it's working to develop a "distinctive signature sound" for its EVs, just as it has for its gas-powered cars.

It's unclear whether the sound in the video is the final result or merely an in-progress update, but man, that electric motor screams. Some automakers are content to try and hide the electric motor's natural noises with futuristic Hans Zimmer soundtracks, but it appears Maserati is flipping the script and enhancing those electric whines to punctuate its performance.

In the press release accompanying the video, the automaker pointed out that the and GranCabrio will be the first two Maserati vehicles to carry an all-electric powertrain. It's unclear if these vehicles will stick around when the automaker releases a production vehicle based on the Alfieri concept, which will also be 100% electric. In addition to full-on EVs, a hybrid is also coming soon.

So, when should we expect all this? Maserati's electrification strategy is set to kick off this year, but considering the Roman numerals in the YouTube video translate to 2021, we'll have to wait just a bit longer to see what Maserati has all the way up its sleeve.

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Andrew Krok Reviews Editor / Cars
Cars are Andrew's jam, as is strawberry. After spending years as a regular ol' car fanatic, he started working his way through the echelons of the automotive industry, starting out as social-media director of a small European-focused garage outside of Chicago. From there, he moved to the editorial side, penning several written features in Total 911 Magazine before becoming a full-time auto writer, first for a local Chicago outlet and then for CNET Cars.
Andrew Krok
Cars are Andrew's jam, as is strawberry. After spending years as a regular ol' car fanatic, he started working his way through the echelons of the automotive industry, starting out as social-media director of a small European-focused garage outside of Chicago. From there, he moved to the editorial side, penning several written features in Total 911 Magazine before becoming a full-time auto writer, first for a local Chicago outlet and then for CNET Cars.

Article updated on January 24, 2020 at 8:12 AM PST

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Andrew Krok Reviews Editor / Cars
Cars are Andrew's jam, as is strawberry. After spending years as a regular ol' car fanatic, he started working his way through the echelons of the automotive industry, starting out as social-media director of a small European-focused garage outside of Chicago. From there, he moved to the editorial side, penning several written features in Total 911 Magazine before becoming a full-time auto writer, first for a local Chicago outlet and then for CNET Cars.
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