Ferrari To Reveal First Fully Electric Car Technology In October – CleanTechnica

---

Support CleanTechnica’s work through a Substack subscription or on Stripe.

---

This morning I was reminded by an email from someone that Ferrari will reveal some significant information about its upcoming fully electric car in October, about 6 weeks from now. (To be clear, it’s been known Ferrari is working on an electric car.)  This article is more of a reminder and overview because Ferrari’s development and launch of an electric car is meaningful in the context of personal transportation history.

Ferraris are synonymous with speed, power, and stylistic design elements: the TestaRossa, the 365 GTB, the 355 GTB, the 308 GTB, the Enzo, the Berlinetta Boxer, and others. Their exhaust sounds or ‘roars’ were also intentional to a degree in some models.

I could be wrong, but it sounds as though the first fully electric Ferrari might be a supercar. “The first electric Ferrari will be rooted in our racing heritage and will draw from a broader technical reservoir while preserving all its authenticity and consistency. And I have been happy to add my own technology knowledge, experience and network to the truly impressive work of the team, since the day I arrived,” Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna has said. Such a car is not in the price range of everyday people, or anywhere near it. (Several years ago, I conducted a brief interview about the Battista EV hypercar, which is also rather pricey.)

Fully electric cars don’t have tailpipes or internal combustion engines, so they make less noise. One advantage of electric vehicles is that they are much quieter so when they completely replace internal combustion engine vehicles there will be less noise pollution in personal transportation. Having a little noise can be helpful so pedestrians are aware of fully electric vehicles.

Ferrari reportedly is developing the acoustic dimension for its electric cars. “So, Ferrari’s engineers are currently working on ‘sound signatures’ for its electric vehicles that will stir emotions and rival that famously produced by its combustion engines.”

Years ago, when watching an Italian movie in a theater, the colors, dialogue, and soundtrack were nearly overdone to the point of nausea. A friend said, “That’s the Italians.” Maybe so, if a vivid red all-electric Ferrari supercar must follow in the skid marks of its predecessors, perhaps it requires an array of electronic throaty notes and roars — an electric lion on wheels.

The Ferrari CEO commented that Tesla vehicles are ‘practical’ and that the Ferrari EV would be very emotional. 

Ferrari states on its website it already has experience with some electrification in the form of regen braking and hybrid technology.

If the first Ferrari electric car is a mid-engine coupe, such a layout would not be surprising to anyone who knows Ferraris. The vehicle’s full reveal will be in 2026.

While there isn’t mention of the environmental and public health benefits of Ferrari’s first electric car, there are some telling facts. The first is somewhat monumental. “Ferrari is aiming to be carbon neutral by 2030, and while it remains committed to internal combustion, a major pivot to electrification is under way.” Becoming carbon neutral in the next 5 years would be a great achievement. How this achievement would be possible with a commitment to electric vehicles and ICE is not clear. Of course, it’s not easy to predict how buyers will move in the next 5 years when it comes to dumping all internal combustion engines, and in this case, the very wealthy ones. Perhaps Ferrari is trying to cater to both customer groups: the motorheads who don’t care about public health and the planet, and those that do.

One aspect of the gas- and diesel-powered vehicle situation is there may be less and less gas readily available as gas stations close and more and more EV public charging hubs replace them. Who wants to be stuck with an extremely expensive vehicle that can only use a fuel which will be less and less accessible and which also harms human health and the planet?