Buongiorno! Scooter here, back with another first-drive review with Maserati. This time, I flew north of Milan, Italy, to Lake Maggiore, where I took in tons of beautiful vistas while testing out Maserati’s first all-electric convertible, the GranCabrio Folgore. This is a beautifully done new model, but I worry about its starting price.
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Background on Maserati’s first all-electric convertible
My most recent Maserati drive event was almost two years in the making, as we first reported on the Trident brand’s all-electric GranCabrio convertible in October 2022. At the time, we only saw a camouflaged prototype. Still, Maserati relayed that the initial stages of GranCabrio Folgore development and testing had begun through the streets of Modena in Northern Italy.
Since then, Maserati has launched two initial Folgore BEV models—the GranTurismo coupe and the Grecale Folgore SUV, which I test-drove in Southern Italy this past March. In April, I was back in Italy at Maserati’s public launch of the GranCabrio Folgore convertible in Puglia.
It was then that we learned what specs this tri-motor sports car will deliver, including its 2.8-second 0-100km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration time. While we still await the GranCabrio Folgore’s official launch in the North American market, I recently got to visit Maserati’s native lands and test it out for myself. I’ve shared my thoughts below.
GranCabrio Folgore performance specs and features
What’s refreshing about Maserati and its Folgore BEVs is that they come as they are—one variant with all the available features, all of which are top-of-the-line in design and function. This sort of business model makes my job easier because when I talk about specs, features, and pricing (brace yourself for that one in a bit), I only have to talk about a single option.
With that said, here are some pertinent specs in the Rose Gold Maserati GranCabrio Folgore convertible I tested out:
DC Charge Time: 20 to 80% in 18 mins (@800V – 270 kW)
AC Charge Time: 48 miles per 1 hour (@15 kW)
Range: Up to 233 miles (EPA estimated)
Homologated Weight: 5,249 lbs.
Weight Distribution: 50/50
Turning Radius: 40.68 ft.
The specs of the Maserati convertible are not bad compared to its competitors in the luxury segment, but the range certainly leaves something to be desired. That said, the GranCabrio Folgore was not necessarily designed for long road trips. We had plenty of range left after our day our driving (and driving FAST).
From my experience, it is perfect for cruising along the coast with the top down and opening it up on straightaways. A downside to Maserati’s unique 800V platform is the limited space for more batteries. On the flip side, however, the Italian automaker was able to deliver a 50/50 weight distribution, which is better than its combustion counterpart, even with an extra 933 pounds of weight from the batteries.
Driving Maserati’s tri-motor BEV convertible in Italy
As the convertible version of Maserati’s first BEV on its 800V platform, the GranCabrio offers a bit more freedom (and headroom) than the GranTurismo Folgore. When I drove the Grecale Folgore SUV, I found its exterior to be a tad flat and boring.
That is not the case with the GranCabrio Folgore. It carries a sleek but muscular design and drives bigger than it looks due to its weight. Notice its unique clam-shell hood that extends as one entire stamped piece across the front of the vehicle and over the wheel wells. How often do you see so few lines up front? Stunning.
Inside and out, tiny details have been executed to the utmost quality standards, and this is the most aesthetically pleasing Maserati I have personally seen and driven. The interior is comforting and spacious up front, but the rear seats are obviously quite tight, given the sporty EV’s overall length (4,966 mm).
I found the center display easy to navigate and operate, with very little need to tap through multiple menus. Most of your most used functions are quickly accessible from the steering wheel or display and are intuitively placed.
I don’t necessarily mind physical buttons for drive functions like Park and Drive, but I was not a fan of Maserati’s decision to place them in the center of the dash between the displays. My hand’s instinct was to go to the wheel or in between the front seats to shift modes.
Source: Scooter Doll
This convertible’s all-electric drive modes, however, were very easy to scroll through using a knob on the steering wheel. I admittedly spent most of my time in “Sport” and “Corsa” modes to feel the full performance, but I did test out each mode of the Maserati along my journey and enjoyed the feel of each and every one… especially the stiffness and torque vectoring of Corsa.
The acceleration was superb. This baby can go. We often times outpaced the combustion Trofeo versions on the road thanks the the Folgore’s triple motors and massive torque. Overtaking nearly any other car on the highway or back roads should be no problem for future owners.
Despite being a convertible, I found the ride of the Maserati GranCabrio surprisingly quiet. It’s obviously quietest with the top and windows up, but even top-down and windows up was very nice, and I really can’t complain about driving top and windows town either.
Air-conditioned seats were there for me when I was in the sun, and a heated “air scarf” feature is available near your neck in the front seats if you’re getting chilly from the fresh air.
One of the downsides I noticed, which comes with most convertibles, is the lack of trunk space in this Maserati, especially when the top is down and folded up. That said, there’s additional storage in the rear seats if you have anything larger than a couple of carry-on suitcases.
GranCabrio Folgore pricing, availability, our video review
Overall, this is my favorite Maserati BEV model I’ve driven to date. I think its overall design is the sharpest in the lineup, and it offers the performance to match its luxury. Even as a convertible, I found the GranCabrio Folgore to drive smoothly and as quiet as can be for having no roof.
Maserati’s battery placement in the 800V platform truly shines in this model, as its added (and evenly distributed) weight helps keep the tires on the road, even on hairpin turns. After driving this model, my two critiques are its range and its price.
The EPA’s estimated range of 233 miles is adequate for a vehicle of this size and type, but I would have liked to see more, given how much Maserati is asking for the all-electric convertible. This brings me to my next issue: the GranCabrio Folgore starts at an MSRP of $205,000 before an additional $1,995 in destination and handling fees.
At a premium like that, I can’t help but wonder who will buy this model. Maserati die-hards may still opt for the combustion version, although I’d argue the Folgore is only $13,000 more and delivers significantly better performance. Also, EV enthusiasts, even the more affluent ones, are probably going to opt for a Lucid Air GT or Tesla Model S Plaid for half the price of the GranCabrio.
Is it really worth the extra money for a convertible? The market will answer that question when the Maserati GranCabrio Folgore makes its way to North American showrooms this fall as a 2025 model.
Until then, be sure to check out my driving footage and impressions around Northern Italy below:
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The e-bike industry in the West has long been a tale of two territories. North Americans enjoy higher speeds and power limits for their electric bicycles while Europeans are held to much stricter (i.e. slower and lower) speed and power limits. However, things might change based on current discussions on rewriting European e-bike regulations.
New power levels are not totally without precedent, either. The UK briefly considered doubling its own e-bike power limit from 250 watts (approximately 1/3 horsepower) to 500 watts, though the move was ultimately abandoned.
But this time, the call for more power is coming from within the house – i.e., Germany. The Germans are the undisputed leaders and trend setters in the European e-bike market, accounting for around two million sales of e-bikes per year. Home to leading e-bike drive makers like Bosch, the country has yet another advantage when it comes to making – or regulating – waves in the industry.
And while there aren’t any pending law changes, the largest German trade organization ZIV (Zweirad-Industrie-Verband), which is highly influential in achieving such changes, is now discussing what it believes could be pertinent updates to current EU electric bike regulations.
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Some of the new regulations involve creating rules maxing out power at levels such as 400% or 600% of the human pedaling input. But a key component of the proposed plan includes changing the present day power limit of e-bikes from 250W of continuous power at the motor to 750W of peak power at the drive wheel.
The difference includes some nuance, since continuous power is often considered more of a nominal figure, meaning nearly every e-bike motor in Europe wears a “250W” or less sticker despite often outputting a higher level of peak power. Even Bosch, which has to walk the tight and narrow as a leader in the European e-bike drive market, shared that its newest models of motors are capable of peak power ratings in the 600W level. That’s still far from the commonly 1,000W to 1,300W peak power seen in US e-bike motors, but offers a nice boost over an actual 250W motor.
Other new regulations up for discussion include proposals to limit fully-loaded cargo e-bike weights to either 250 kg (550 lb) for two-wheelers or 300 kg (660 lb) for e-bikes with more than two wheels. As road.cc explained, ZIV also noted that, “separate framework conditions and parameters must be defined for cargo bikes weighing more than 300 kg (see EN 17860-4:2025) as they differ significantly from EPACs and bicycles in their dynamics, design and operation.” Such heavy-duty cargo e-bikes, which often more closely resemble small delivery vans than large cargo bikes, are becoming more common in the industry and have raised concerns about cargo e-bike bloat, especially in dedicated cycling paths.
It’s too early to say whether European e-bike regulations will actually change, but the fact that key industry voices with the power to influence policy are openly advocating for it suggests that new rules for the European market are a real possibility.
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China just laid out a plan to roll out over 100,000 ultra-fast EV charging stations by 2027 – and they’ll all be open to the public.
The National Development and Reform Commission’s (NDRC) joint notice, issued on Monday, asks local authorities to put together construction plans for highway service areas and prioritize the ones that see 40% or more usage during holiday travel rushes.
The NDRC notes that China’s ultra-fast EV charging infrastructure needs upgrading as more 800V EVs hit the road. Those high-voltage platforms can handle super-fast charging in as little as 10 to 30 minutes, but only if the charging hardware is up to speed.
China had 31.4 million EVs on the road at the end of 2024 – nearly 9% of the country’s total vehicle fleet. But charging access is still catching up. As of May 2025, there were 14.4 million charging points, or roughly 1 for every 2.2 EVs.
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To keep the grid running smoothly, China wants new chargers to be smart, with dynamic pricing to incentivize off-peak charging and solar and storage to power the charging stations.
To make the business side work, the government is pushing for 10-year leases for charging station operators, and it’s backing the buildout with local government bonds.
The NDRC emphasized that the DC fast chargers built will be open to the public. This is a big deal because a lot of fast chargers in China aren’t. For example, BYD’s new megawatt chargers aren’t open to third-party vehicles.
As of September 2024, China had expanded its charging infrastructure to 11.4 million EV chargers, but only 3.3 million were public.
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A U.S. Justice Department logo or seal showing Justice Department headquarters, known as “Main Justice,” is seen behind the podium in the Department’s headquarters briefing room before a news conference with the Attorney General in Washington, January 24, 2023.
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
Federal prosecutors have charged two men in connection with a sprawling cryptocurrency investment scheme that defrauded victims out of more than $650 million.
The indictment, unsealed in the District of Puerto Rico, accuses Michael Shannon Sims, 48, of Georgia and Florida, and Juan Carlos Reynoso, 57, of New Jersey and Florida, of operating and promoting OmegaPro, an international crypto multi-level marketing scheme that promised investors 300% returns over 16 months through foreign exchange trading.
“This case exposes the ruthless reality of modern financial crime,” said the Internal Revenue Service’s Chief of Criminal Investigations Guy Ficco. “OmegaPro promised financial freedom but delivered financial ruin.”
From 2019 to 2023, Sims, Reynoso and their co-conspirators allegedly lured thousands of victims worldwide to purchase “investment packages” using cryptocurrency, falsely claiming the funds would be safely managed by elite forex traders, the Department of Justice said.
Prosecutors said the pair flaunted their wealth through social media and extravagant events — including projecting the OmegaPro logo onto the Burj Khalifa, Dubai’s tallest building — to convince investors the operation was legitimate.
A video posted to the company’s LinkedIn page shows guests in evening attire posing for photos and watching the spectacle in Dubai.
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In reality, authorities allege, OmegaPro was a pyramid-style fraud.
When the company later claimed it had suffered a hack, the defendants told victims they had transferred their funds to a new platform called Broker Group, the DOJ said. Users were never able to withdraw their money from either platform.
The two men face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, each carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The Justice Department, FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations led the multiagency investigation, with help from international partners.