Supercar manufacturer Ferrari is accelerating the development speed of pure electric vehicle models. CEO Benedetto Vinia stated at a recent performance conference that Ferrari's first pure electric vehicle model is expected to be launched before the end of 2025, and the company has made faster progress than expected in some key technologies, especially in the debugging of electronic components.
He further mentioned that the company is utilizing hardware in the loop (HIP) technology commonly used for electronic device testing to simulate the behavior of products under different conditions. This technology is usually applied to smartphones or computers, and is now also used by Ferrari to accelerate the electronic system debugging of electric vehicles.
Vinya emphasized that although this is Ferrari's first pure electric model, the company is ensuring that its profit margin remains consistent with other models, and significant progress has been made in optimization.
Regarding inquiries from battery supply partners, Vinya chose to remain mysterious and refused to disclose any specific information. Ferrari's new assembly plant in Maranello, Italy, will also be completed by June 2024.
This facility is a significant investment by Ferrari in the electrification transformation, which can support the goal of electric vehicles accounting for 40% of its future product line. Ferrari expects the factory to produce electric motors, inverters, and battery modules for electric and hybrid vehicles.
Thanks to the already started delivery of the Purosangue model, Ferrari's performance in 2023 was outstanding, and the company's stock price jumped after announcing third quarter earnings that exceeded analysts' expectations.
The production of supercars is limited, accounting for a small proportion of global automotive emissions, and their impact on the environment is not as significant as that of mass-produced car brands. For supercar manufacturers such as Ferrari and Porsche, their product premium comes from the extreme mechanical craftsmanship, brand value, and deep story culture foundation.
This unique market positioning means that although the global automotive industry is facing a wave of transformation towards electrification, the transformation pressure faced by these traditional supercar brands is not as urgent as mainstream automakers such as Toyota, Volkswagen, General Motors, and Ford. They can balance tradition and future more cautiously, explore electrification paths, while maintaining their iconic internal combustion engine vehicle characteristics.
Ferrari has announced that it will invest 4.4 billion euros in its electrification strategy by 2026, which includes the development of electric and hybrid vehicles. This Italian manufacturer also plans to have electric vehicles account for 40% of its product line by the end of this century.
Porsche relies on its affiliation with Volkswagen and its large size, resulting in an earlier and larger investment in electrification. According to the company's 2018 announcement, the investment in electrification will exceed 6 billion euros by 2022. The main purpose of this fund is to develop new pure electric models and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
Lamborghini plans to fully switch its product line to hybrid by 2024, and plans to launch pure electric models by the end of 2020. The company previously announced that it will invest 1.8 billion euros in the research and development of hybrid and electric vehicles.
McLaren stated that it is expected that by 2025, all of the company's sports cars and supercars will be 100% hybrid. McLaren plans to invest £ 1.2 billion (approximately $1.58 billion) under the "Track25" program to launch 18 new models and derivative products, and is committed to developing high-power battery systems for ultra fast charging.
In terms of executive attitude, the heads of Ferrari, Porsche, and Lamborghini all expressed support for e-fuels. This fuel is a fully synthetic fuel that is produced by electrolysis of water to produce hydrogen gas, which then reacts with carbon dioxide captured from the atmosphere to produce a fuel similar to ethanol. This technology serves as an exemption plan for some car companies to continue selling traditional internal combustion engine models after the implementation of the EU 2035 ban on fuel vehicles.
Michael Leters, CEO of McLaren, stated in an interview that the company is currently developing electric models, but battery technology is not yet mature enough to support the performance and lightweight required for supercars. He pointed out that excessive batteries can damage the vehicle's handling flexibility, which is unacceptable for supercars who pursue the ultimate driving experience.
The conflict between supercar manufacturers reflects the challenge of the entire industry seeking a balance between tradition and innovation. On the one hand, we need to maintain loyalty to internal combustion engines, and on the other hand, we have to cater to the trend of electrification.
For supercar brands, the brand tradition and core values are closely linked to high-performance internal combustion engines, which are exactly what their customer base expects and values. At the same time, in the face of technological challenges and market risks, supercar brands must carefully adapt to the development trend of electric vehicle technology while maintaining their identity symbol and emotional value.
At present, some electric supercars, with the support of traditional car companies, also lack topical and historical heritage. Taking the Croatian pure electric supercar brand Rimac as an example, after merging with Volkswagen's top sports car brands, the company first achieved a world record for electric sports cars exceeding 415km/h in May this year; On October 7th, Rimac broke the world reverse speed record with a speed of over 275km/h.