Even Ferrari Is Going Electric!

Ferrari aficionados certainly dreaded this outcome, but they will have to get used to it anyway.

Fully electric cars from Maranello will be a reality within two years. Like, seriously. The Italian automaker announced on October 9 that its first battery-powered model, called Elettrica, will debut sometime in 2026 and go into production months later.

For now, there are no sketches or mock-ups, only an aluminum architecture with a motor driving each wheel and a battery in the middle. We know that the vehicle will come to life in the shape of a four-seat coupe offering a very low driving position.

The company promises more than 1,000 horsepower, enough to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 2.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 310 km/h. Maximum range is estimated at 530 km according to the WLTP standard, so a little over 400 km to be more realistic.

Interestingly for purists, the Elettrica will be able to simulate gear shifts and fill the driver’s ears with the amplified sound of the electric motors. Of course, this is no substitute for a gasoline engine and a proper transmission, but it could prove to be the next best thing for some… if the result is up to par.

Ferrari is taking on the costly development of most of the technical innovations internally, particularly the integrated battery pack, “because keeping that expert knowledge in-house means we can stay competitive,” said Gianmaria Fulgenzi, product director at Ferrari. The Elettrica’s price remains a complete mystery at this point. Same thing for production volumes.

Far From the End of Combustion at Ferrari

“It’s an addition (to the lineup), not a transition,” Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna said during a presentation to investors. Fulgenzi used a great analogy, too: “It’s like choosing between a sailboat and a motorboat: both are exciting but in different ways,” he added.

In other words, the long-term strategy at Ferrari is to keep making the brand’s iconic V12, V8 and V6 engines well into the next decade, since combustion is an integral part of its DNA.

Executives believe that gasoline, hybrid and electric propulsion systems must be seen as complementary, not competitive. In fact, Ferrari expects its global lineup to be 40% internal combustion, 40% hybrid and 20% fully electric by 2030.

Big boss Vigna emphasized that emotion, performance and sound remain non-negotiable traits for Ferrari cars, regardless of the energy source. What do you think?