Alfa Romeo can’t call its first EV the Milano, because it’s made in Poland

If a car is not made in Italy, it cannot have an Italian-sounding name. That say Italian Industry Minister Adolfo Urso responded. He criticizes the decision of Stellantis, the parent company of Alfa Romeo, to build the car in the Tychy factory in Poland. This makes it the first Alfa Romeo to be built outside of Italy. According to Stellantis, Polish production is important to keep car costs low.

But the result is that according to Italian law the car will not be allowed to have an Italian-sounding name. “A car with the name Milano cannot be produced in Poland. This is prohibited by Italian law,” Urso insists. He is referring to a 2003 law that prohibits products with Italian-sounding names from being sold if they are not made in Italy. “A car with the Milano name must therefore be made in Italy. Otherwise it gives a misleading indication which is not allowed according to Italian law.”

These types of laws are usually applied to food products, for example prohibiting producers in other countries from selling cheese such as ‘Parmigiano Reggiano’. France has a similar law aimed at protecting products such as champagne.

Compact SUV

Of Alfa Romeo Milan is a compact SUV in segment B. The electric version is built on the e-CMP platform, which also powers the Jeep Avenger, for example. The Milano is also available in a version with a petrol engine.

The electric Milano has a 54 kWh battery pack and a range of 410 km. The car will be available in two variants, with a power of 115 kW (156 hp) or 176 kW (240 hp). Prices have not yet been announced.

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