The prospect of an all-electric Ferrari is a controversial one. On the one hand, the Italian marque prides itself on being a tech leader in the motoring world, but on the other hand it’s known for its glorious, if a little old-hat, naturally-aspirated V12 engines. But it seems the company’s head is starting to overrule its heart, as Ferrari has confirmed that an electric car is on the cards.
Speaking to Autocar, Ferrari commercial boss Enrico Galliera said that an electric car adorned with the prancing horse was at least five years away, and that it would not be forced into introducing an EV earlier to rival the upcoming Pininfarina Battista.
“There are some competitors entering the market with new technology that we will look at, but will that be a problem to Ferrari? I think not, because of the specific niche Ferrari targets”, he said. “And will that trigger interest in that market for Ferrari? No. We firmly believe that battery technology is not yet developed enough to meet the needs of a supercar. In the next five years, we do not believe the technology will be able to meet the needs of a Ferrari.”
Galliera adds that if Ferrari were to launch an all-electric vehicle, it would need take the form of something that is currently absent from the market.
“If we bring in new technology, then we need to bring something new to the market. That’s how Ferrari has always worked with new technology. The evolution of new technology is 100% in the DNA of Ferrari”, he added.
And what of engine noise? Galliera says that the company will have “an elegant answer” when the times comes to put combustion engines to bed.
We’ve known for a while now that Ferrari has its eye on the EV world, as patents for an electric car leaked online earlier this year. However, Galliera’s prove that an electric car in red is still some way off.
Keyword: Ferrari’s first electric car at least five years away