Alfa Romeo Tonale PHEV stop-sale ordered
Alfa’s first plug-in hybrid sidelined as company deals with ‘compatibility issue’ with on-board chargerSales of the new 2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale PHEV have been halted as Stellantis Australia investigates a “compatibility issue” with the on-board charger and related equipment fitted to the Italian brand’s first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.
Priced from $77,500 plus on-road costs, the flagship Alfa Romeo Veloce Plug-In Hybrid Q4 has only just begun arriving in Australian showrooms, but the stop-sale has been ordered due to an issue with the 7.4kW AC on-board charger, Type 2 charging port and Mode 2 charge cable supplied with the premium small SUV.
A carsales reader told us that customer deliveries were not taking place because owners weren’t able to charge the Tonale PHEV at home – which is where most recharging would take place given it takes less than 2.5 hours to fully replenish the battery using the on-board charger, according to Alfa.
A spokesperson for Stellantis Australia has confirmed to carsales that no deliveries would be made while the company investigated the issue, which she said does not impact AC fast-charging at a public outlet or a dedicated domestic wallbox.
“There is a stop-sale for all Alfa Romeo Tonale PHEVs in Australia while we investigate a potential compatibility issue with the Mode 2 charger,” the spokesperson said.
“This is not a safety or regulatory issue. The vehicles will charge with a Mode 3 charger – ie. a public charging station or home dedicated wallbox charger.
“Deliveries will recommence once a solution is determined.”
The Tonale PHEV uses a turbocharged 1.3-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric powertrain that produces a combined 208kW and 270Nm of torque, accelerating from 0-100km/h in a claimed 6.2 seconds.
Driving all four wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission, the two electric motors (30kW front/90kW rear) in the Tonale PHEV draw energy from a 15.5kWh (306V) battery that enables a claimed all-electric range of up to 60km.
The PHEV system also reduces fuel consumption to a theoretical 1.5L/100km and CO2 emissions to 34g/km.
It’s unclear how long cars will remain sidelined while the company seeks a solution to the problem.
The issue does not impact regular Alfa Romeo Tonale Hybrid models, which use a self-charging 48-volt mild-hybrid system.
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