Official Claims Polish-Made Alfa Romeo Milano EV Is ‘Forbidden by Italian Law’

Alfa Romeo’s first electrical car hasn’t been welcomed as a part of the household, and it isn’t due to its battery-powered know-how, both. As a substitute, the disdain for the all-new mannequin stems from its identify, with an Italian official detesting the Polish manufacturing of a car generally known as the Alfa Romeo Milano.

Named after Italy’s ethical capital and Alfa Romeo’s origin metropolis, Milan, the subcompact crossover shares its platform with the Jeep Avenger and Fiat 600e. Sharing platforms with fellow Stellantis fashions is cost-saving, little question, nevertheless it means the Milano shall be manufactured in Tychy, Poland. With an ever-strong nationwide heritage, Italy’s trade minister, Adolfo Urso, believes this transfer by Stellantis is unacceptable.

“A automobile referred to as Milano can’t be produced in Poland. That is forbidden by Italian legislation,” Urso mentioned in Turin on Thursday. “This legislation stipulates that you just can’t give indications that mislead customers. So a automobile referred to as Milano have to be produced in Italy. In any other case, it offers a deceptive indication which isn’t allowed beneath Italian legislation.”

The legislation that Urso is referencing dates again to 2003, stating that it’s unlawful to market Italian-sounding merchandise produced elsewhere as Italian within the identify of client security. One other instance of the relevance of this legislation consists of the restricted use of the Italian product identify Parmigiano Reggiano in describing American-made parmesan cheese.

Whatever the rhetorical stipulations, Stellantis’ CEO Carlos Tavares advised Automotive Information Europe that producing the Milano EV in Poland shall be a greater deal for the corporate and customers alike. Tavares went so far as saying that Polish manufacturing of the Milano will yield a ten,000 euro discount in value, with the mannequin set to begin at beneath 30,000 euros. That is about $32,136 for the bottom mannequin, hybrid model, in line with Automotive Information Europe.

Notably, the Milano would be the solely Alfa Romeo produced outdoors of Italy, diverging from the Cassino Plant-produced Stelvio midsize SUV and Giulia midsize sedan.

A New York transplant hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Emmet White has a ardour for something that goes: vehicles, bicycles, planes, and bikes. After studying to trip at 17, Emmet labored within the bike trade earlier than becoming a member of Autoweek in 2022. The woes of alternate facet parking have stored his fleet reasonable, with a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta GLI and a 2003 Honda Nighthawk 750 avenue parked in his South Brooklyn neighborhood.