Recently, Italy raised objections to Alfa Romeo's naming of its latest electric vehicle as the Milano. Alfa Romeo unveiled the Milano compact crossover, a model with roots tied to Fiat's 600 and the Jeep Avenger. Interestingly, this vehicle, produced in Poland, faces legal constraints preventing it from bearing an Italian name, citing an obscure patriotic proprietary law, as explained by a government official.

Scrutiny Unfolds: Milano Name for Alfa Romeo's Latest EV

Alfa Romeo is stirring controversy with its choice of name for the Milano EV. Despite the company's intent to name its EV after the renowned city of Milan, Italy has taken a firm stance, asserting that the name is illegal due to the vehicle's production location in Poland.

This dispute arises from Italy's stringent regulations concerning products bearing Italian-sounding names when manufactured outside the country. As the Milano EV is built in Poland alongside other Stellantis models, Italian officials are adamant about enforcing the law.

Reported by Electrek, Stellantis and the Italian government have been engaged in a disagreement, primarily centered on perceived inadequate support for electric vehicle adoption and insufficient backing for domestic brands such as Fiat and Alfa Romeo. However, the government asserts that relocating production abroad, as proposed for the Milano EV, represents an unacceptable escalation.

The report cited Automotive News Europe story sharing that Italy's industry minister Adolfo Urso, criticized Stellantis for selecting the Tychy plant in Poland as the production site for the EV. This decision marks a significant departure, as it will be the first Alfa Romeo entirely manufactured outside of Italy.

Consequently, under Italian law, the electric vehicle cannot bear an Italian-sounding name if it's not produced within the country's borders. Additionally, The Drive reported Urso's assertion that the law prohibits providing misleading indications to consumers.

Thus, a car named Milano must be manufactured in Italy to avoid misleading consumers. Otherwise, it would contravene Italian regulations by providing a deceptive indication of its origin.

CarBuzz provides additional insights into this ongoing saga. Stellantis CEO has indicated that producing the Milano in Italy would significantly inflate its cost. However, there's a silver lining as future electric Alfa Romeos are slated to be manufactured at the Cassino plant in Italy.

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2003 saw the implementation of laws in Italy making it illegal to sell a product made abroad as having Italian origins. This practice is not unprecedented; similar regulations exist for products like champagne and cognac, which can only be labeled as such if they originate from their respective regions in France.

CarBuzz also weighed in on the matter. The Stellantis-owned brand has invested significant sums in marketing the new Milano, making a name change post-launch a potential PR disaster and financially burdensome endeavor.

About Alfa Romeo Milano

As highlighted by DaxStreet, Alfa Romeo is venturing boldly into the electric vehicle realm with its elegant Milano SUV, signaling the Italian marque's inaugural step into the EV industry. Despite offering the stylish subcompact crossover with a three-cylinder hybrid powertrain, neither iteration is planned for sale in the United States.

Amidst speculations surrounding the potential release of high-performance successors to renowned Alfa Romeo models, the Milano emerges as a trailblazer with its innovative embrace of electrification. Set to debut in European markets later this year, Alfa Romeo signals its commitment to an all-electric future by planning to exclusively offer electric vehicles starting in 2027.

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