Alfa Romeo is set to launch the new 2023 Tonale SUV – the industry’s first vehicle that will include NFT and blockchain technology. The electric hybrid vehicle will be linked to a non-removable token. This will certify the vehicle’s data on a blockchain.
Francesco Calcara, Head of Global Marketing and Communications at Alfa Romeo, believes that digitization is a key factor in enabling the company’s metamorphosis. He described Tonale as the first car ever to have a blockchain-based non-removable token. Calcara pointed out that NFTs are based on the same distributed information logic that protects the bitcoin, saving all data on the blockchain.
The NFT will generate a certificate that can be used to verify that the car has been serviced correctly. This will lead to a potentially higher-resale value. The Italian auto manufacturer named the Tonale after a famous Italian mountain pass. The hybrid SUV will be available in two electrified versions. A mild hybrid and a plug-in hybrid.
Larry Dominique, Head of Tonale’s North American operations, said the new vehicle will serve as the end of all Alfa Romeo vehicles that contain traditional internal combustion engines. Stellantis, which owns Alfa Romeo, hopes to exclusively sell EVs by 2027. He told CNBC that they want pure BEV. There won’t be any more internal combustion energy vehicles by the end of 2027.
As such, Alfa Romeo will join competing brands that have already entered the NFT space. Last month, Lamborghini in partnership with Fabian Oefner (artist) launched the Space Time Memory project. It consists of five pairs of physical and digital art. Ferrari also stepped into this space via a multi-year partnership with Velas Network AG to develop NFT content for the brand.
