Author: EVAI
Alfa Romeo Junior EV might come to US
- Alfa Romeo Junior is the automaker’s first EV
- The Junior wasn’t slated for the U.S., but Alfa Romeo might shift its plans
- If the Junior comes to the U.S. it might only be sold in certain states
Alfa Romeo is considering bringing its Junior crossover—the automaker’s first EV—to the U.S., reports Automotive News Europe.
The Junior was unveiled in April as the Milano, but Alfa Romeo quickly changed the name due to an Italian law forbidding the use of names of Italian cities for products not manufactured in Italy. The Junior is slated to be built in Poland. Alfa Romeo said at the time that it had no plans to bring the Junior to the U.S., but it will now show the car to dealers here to gauge interest, head of product Daniel Tiago Guzzafame said in an interview with Automotive News Europe.
Even if it does get the green light for U.S. sales, the Junior may not be a 50-state vehicle. Guzzafame said Alfa Romeo is looking at sales in California and Florida—two states with fairly robust EV sales—as well as other states that follow California’s emissions rules.
2025 Alfa Romeo Junior
The Junior is based on the same Stellantis eCMP2 architecture as the Jeep Avenger and Fiat 600, which aren’t planned for the U.S. All three are ideally sized for Europe, but fairly small for the U.S. At 164 inches long, the Junior is roughly 14 inches shorter than the Alfa Romeo Tonale plug-in hybrid crossover that is the automaker’s current entry-level model in the U.S.
This architecture can accommodate internal-combustion and all-electric powertrains, and the Junior will be sold as both an EV and mild-hybrid in Europe. But the only version being considered for the U.S. is the Junior Veloce, the most powerful of the all-electric variants, according to Automotive News Europe.
In Europe, the single-motor Junior Veloce generates 281 hp, getting it from 0-62 mph in 5.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 124 mph. Official ratings haven’t been published yet, but Alfa Romeo is reportedly expecting 205 miles of WLTP range from the same 54-kwh battery pack used in less-sporty Junior electric models.
2025 Alfa Romeo Junior
It’s unclear where the Junior would be priced in the U.S., but in Italy it starts at 52,000 euros including shipping and a 22% sales tax, according to Automotive News Europe. An equivalent U.S. price would likely be around $42,000.
The Junior could have a price advantage over two other small premium EVs—the 2025 Mini Cooper electric and 2025 Volvo EX30—because it’s built in Poland rather than China. That means it’s subject to only a 2.5% tariff, compared to 102.5% for the Mini and Volvo, Automotive News Europe notes. That advantage would likely be temporary, though, as rivals adjust their plans to account for the tariff. Volvo has already delayed the U.S. launch of the EX30 until next year due to the tariff, as it moves production from China to Ghent, Belgium.
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Toyota reportedly building battery plant for Lexus
- A new Toyota battery plant is reportedly in the works
- The Japanese plant would make batteries for Lexus EVs
- Toyota is building a battery plant in North Carolina as well
Toyota plans to build a Japanese EV battery plant for its Lexus luxury brand, the Nikkei business daily reported Friday.
Circulated by Reuters, the report said the new battery plant would be located in Japan’s southwestern prefecture of Fukuoka, but did not provide any other details. Toyota views Kyushu, the island where Fukuoka is located, as a central hub for its EV supply chain, according to the report.
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This report comes as other automakers pull back EV production targets. EV output is 45% below expectations, French supplier OPmobility SE said this week. General Motors recently announced that it would delay a goal to have production capacity for one million EVs, originally targeted for 2025, while Ford is re-tasking a Canadian assembly plant from EVs to internal-combustion Super Duty pickup trucks.
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