MILAN, April 10 (Reuters) - Alfa Romeo launched its

first fully electric vehicle (EV) on Wednesday, expanding the

Italian premium brand's current range into a smaller-size

segment with the Milano sport compact.

Named after the northern Italian city of Milan, where Alfa

Romeo was founded in 1910, the new car is fitted with a 54 KWh

battery, giving its basic version a range of 410 kilometres, the

Stellantis ( STLA )-owned carmaker said in a statement.

The Milano EV is priced from 39,500 euros ($42,880), before

government purchase incentives, and will also be available as a

hybrid, starting at 29,900 euros.

Orders are open for the "Milano Speciale" launch edition, in

both EV and hybrid.

Based on the modular CMP platform developed by Peugeot maker

PSA before it merged with Fiat Chrysler, the Milano is being

built in the Stellantis Tychy plant in Poland, along with other

models including the Jeep Avenger and Fiat 600.

Alfa Romeo has undergone a turnaround process under

Stellantis ( STLA ) and in 2022 started a reshuffle of its range with the

launch of the Tonale compact SUV.

It also plans to launch new versions of its Stelvio larger

SUV in the second half of next year and of its Giulia sport

sedan in 2026. Alfa Romeo confirmed last month that it aims to

have a 100% EV range of cars on offer by 2027.

Last year Alfa Romeo sold more than 50,000 cars in Europe,

its largest market, up 52% from 2022, supported by the Tonale,

which was also introduced as a plug-in hybrid during 2023.

($1 = 0.9211 euros)