Maserati revamps distribution strategy leading up to EV push

At the dealership level, Maserati wants to introduce a new retail experience built around a free-flowing store layout that feels inclusive.

A consumer would sit at a central table where they could have a coffee or configure a vehicle, said Bernard Loire, Maserati’s chief commercial officer. The brand said it wants to create a memorable experience when consumers take deliveries, including giving them the option to be filmed.

Randy Dye, the Stellantis National Dealer Council chairman, said he’s confident in Stellantis’ ability to make the transition to EVs. But he wonders if the infrastructure needed to support EVs will be developed enough to achieve the targets that brands such as Maserati are setting. He’d like to see gasoline-powered vehicles and EVs coexist to give consumers options.

“I happen to believe that we can do both,” Dye said. “That we can have a significant number of offerings in BEVs, and we can still have internal-combustion engines.

“Ultimately, the real question … is what’s the consumer going to want?” Dye asked. “I think we’ve got to know the answer to that question before I can say is it a good idea for anybody to be 100 percent electric by any date.”

Dye, a Maserati dealer in Florida for nearly 10 years, praised the move away from shipping cars that dealerships didn’t order. He said his confidence in the brand has never been higher.

“You don’t have the pressure of prebuilt cars sitting around and somebody’s trying to get you to take those,” Dye said. “We order our own inventory. We prefer to order our own inventory. In theory, we prefer to order our inventory because that’s what the customer wants.”