The Business Car Files
Maserati GB Peter Charters and Howard Dalziel
2023 was a good year for Maserati GB; sales were up 23%, and 2024 looks even more promising, with the arrival of the Folgore BEV models. Martyn Collins talks to Peter Charters, general manager Great Britain and Scandinavia, and Howard Dalziel, national corporate sales manager, about the brand’s exciting EV fleet future.
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Above: Peter Charters, general manager, Great Britain and Scandinavia
Below: Maserati believes the Grecale Folgore won’t be a volume fleet player, but they will do more than the rest of the EV range.
olgore in Italian means lightning bolt, and it is the word Maserati are using for their electrification strategy. In time, every Maserati will have a Folgore derivative 2025 in fact, but this year, the first model to arrive is the GranTurismo Folgore coupe. Shortly after, will be the Grecale SUV and then the GranCabrio.
We ask Peter (PC) and Howard (HD) how the concept of electrification fits with Maserati. HD explains: “We’re a traditional Italian brand known for our engines. For me – electrification works perfectly, in that our brand purpose is to provide those who move the world, with the best in luxury performance. Electrification runs hand in hand with that, in terms of what you can achieve with the performance and refinement. “What sums up Maserati for me, is the audacious nature of what it does. We’re a small
manufacturer, so can be brave in terms of what we can do in the market, safe in the knowledge that we have the full support of the wider Stellantis organisation around us – but working autonomously within that environment. “We’ve never designed a car to take true advantage of loopholes in Benefit in Kind in the UK market, but Folgore is a happy coincidence. The timing of these cars coming to market has considerable opportunity to get established once again in both the fleet and corporate markets.
“Grecale has done a brilliant job for us already, in terms of its full year of sales. Grecale Folgore won’t be a volume fleet player, but we will do more than the rest of the EV range.
“We’ve also got the GranTurismo, launched very subtly into the UK market at the end
of last year – I guess more to traditional Maserati owners. We’ll see how that changes as they begin to see the fully-electric version in the market.”
Will bringing in the Folgore version of the new GranTurismo first attract more of a corporate customer than expected? PC says: “In terms of GranTurismo being interesting to fleet customers, they are directors and owners of companies, but now they’re going to have the benefit of the low BIK, so we see a huge opportunity for this car in the UK. “What the retail and fleet split will be, is hard to predict. I think it will take off quicker in fleet, because of the taxation. Leasing companies are coming to us proactively, asking about the cars – which gives us huge confidence as well.” HD says: “If we look at BIK on the most affordable Grecale, they’ve not been designed
28 | February 2024 |
www.businesscar.co.uk
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