Ferrari's first electric vehicle will launch sometime late in 2025. The company is keeping the important details under guard in Maranello, but CEO Benedetto Vigna went on CNBC's Squawk Box Europe to say the automaker will continue to emphasize styling and performance in its battery-electric vehicles and that they won't lose the brand’s "unique" feel.
Vigna noted that "electric cars are not silent" and reiterated that Ferrari is working on unique "sound signatures" for its models; the company patented an EV exhaust note in 2023. Vigna also understands that the technology will allow Ferrari to "do a lot of things" with them. Ferrari's customers don't care much for functionality, allowing the automaker to focus on delivering "the emotion" of its luxury cars first and foremost to its clients.
The CEO, who took the helm at Ferrari in 2021, said he's confident the company can still deliver a special driving experience by harnessing the technology "in a unique way."
We'll see what that means in about 18 months, but even as the company electrifies its lineup, it will continue to invest in combustion engines. Ferrari's battery-powered era will include a new production facility. It'll open in June in Maranello and produce battery packs, electric motors, and power inverters.
Vigna said he doesn't believe combustion engines will ever entirely disappear from the luxury car market, with combustion engines, hybrids, and BEVs on sale together, but Ferrari will electrify 60 percent of its lineup by 2026. E-fuel is one alternative that could keep combustion engines on the road for years while cutting harmful emissions, which is the ultimate goal of many governments around the world.
