It should have been like that. And already from 2027. But now Alfa Romeo doesn't want to build only electric cars. The director confirms this.
Alfa Romeo has changed its strategy and will continue to offer cars with combustion engines. The Italian car brand, part of the Stellantis group, originally planned to phase out gasoline and diesel cars in North America from 2027.
The Italians wanted to focus exclusively on electric cars. But those plans have now been scrapped. Instead, Alfa Romeo will offer a wider range of powertrains, including pure gasoline cars, electric cars and plug-in hybrid cars.
Alfa Romeo's North American boss, Chris Feuell, was quoted as saying during the NADA Show that it would be too restrictive to force dealers to only sell electric cars within the next few years.
"In our US network alone, we have 110 dealers, and it would be very challenging for them to survive with a portfolio consisting only of electric cars," Feuell said.
Alfa Romeo is already struggling with declining sales figures in the United States, where sales fell 19 percent last year to 8,865 cars.
This is reported by Automotive News .
At home, the importer can also note a decline from 28 cars in 2023 to just 18 throughout 2024. That is fewer cars than both Lotus, Land Rover and Subaru have sold.
It is unclear whether Alfa Romeo's original plan to transition to all-electric vehicles by 2027 still applies to Europe and China.
However, former CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato has stated that Alfa Romeo can offer a more varied product portfolio with combustion engines if that is what customers demand.
Imparato said the company's new boss, Santo Ficili, has the flexibility to launch petrol versions of the upcoming Giulia and Stelvio models.
The two models will be built on the STLA Large platform, which is designed for both gasoline and electric powertrains. The SUV is expected to land later this year, while a sedan will follow in 2026.
Alfa Romeo, like other Stellantis brands, is facing an inventory problem. About half of the cars in US dealer inventories are 2024 models, and discounts are planned for the first quarter of 2025 to sell the unsold cars.
To increase sales, a lease agreement is offered on the Tonale with an internal combustion engine for a few hundred dollars a month. While Fiat gave its cars away 'for free'. Read more about it here .
The smaller crossover, the Tonale, is not sold in the U.S. However, American dealers have been asked whether the smaller crossover should be introduced in the American market.
In Europe and other markets, the Tonale is sold with a mild-hybrid 1.2-liter three-cylinder turbo engine as well as as a pure electric car.
Alfa Romeo is also working on a new supercar to follow the 33 Stradale. It is expected to have a retro design and hit the market in 2026.
The previous top model was announced as Alfa Romeo's last supercar with a combustion engine. However, in light of the changed plans, it is possible that several new top model offerings will also have a petrol engine.
