To test the electrification with 25.000 Volts AC, the FS decided to electrify the main line in Sardinia. The locomotives developed for this were designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and delivered in 1989 and 1990. Nineteen E.491s with a top speed of 140 km/h and six E.492s for passenger trains with a top speed of 160 km/h were built. Since the electrification was not completed, they were transported back to the mainland. Without being used commercially, they have been presented to several foreign railway administrations over the years without success. Between 2011 and 2016 all but one were scrapped. 