The Grand Tour is apparently the most pirated show of all time. Millions downloaded it, so I know that each and every one of our readers is aware of how James May said during the first episode that the LaFerrari does not have a pure electric mode.
Everybody knew the same thing, but it's not entirely accurate. The myth started because Ferrari themselves said their hypercar cannot run on battery power alone as this "would not fit the mission of the model."
But that was before the LaFerrari actually began shipping, as the Italians wanted to do everything to avoid direct comparisons with the McLaren P1 and Porsche 918. As you all know, they were adamant in refusing participation in any comparison test. The Ferrari was the best Ferrari, and that was the end of the discussion.
"If a Prius can do it, so should our hypercar investment," some of the owners said. And they were given access to the EV mode that was only useful for slow speed parking maneuvers and around a garage or paddock.
While the 918 Spyder and P1 are plug-ins with big batteries, the LaFerrari's lithium-ions can be very quickly depleted.
In theory, the gap between the 949-horsepower total output of the car and the 789-horsepower V12 is all electricity. So that's about a mini hot hatch of juice, but nobody has ever seen the LaFerrari drive fast in EV mode, which means the system won't allow you to run that way.
It's said that the electric drive mode is only offered to certain customers, but you can't get more high-profile than Jay Kay. His green model is probably the most stand-out one on the Internet. This also shows the musician is considerate towards his family or neighbors, optioning Ferrari for something that allows the car to leave the scene quietly.
So what do you think, should the option be included to all future hybrid supercars? Or does the Internet need more "V12 cold start" videos?
But that was before the LaFerrari actually began shipping, as the Italians wanted to do everything to avoid direct comparisons with the McLaren P1 and Porsche 918. As you all know, they were adamant in refusing participation in any comparison test. The Ferrari was the best Ferrari, and that was the end of the discussion.
"If a Prius can do it, so should our hypercar investment," some of the owners said. And they were given access to the EV mode that was only useful for slow speed parking maneuvers and around a garage or paddock.
While the 918 Spyder and P1 are plug-ins with big batteries, the LaFerrari's lithium-ions can be very quickly depleted.
In theory, the gap between the 949-horsepower total output of the car and the 789-horsepower V12 is all electricity. So that's about a mini hot hatch of juice, but nobody has ever seen the LaFerrari drive fast in EV mode, which means the system won't allow you to run that way.
It's said that the electric drive mode is only offered to certain customers, but you can't get more high-profile than Jay Kay. His green model is probably the most stand-out one on the Internet. This also shows the musician is considerate towards his family or neighbors, optioning Ferrari for something that allows the car to leave the scene quietly.
So what do you think, should the option be included to all future hybrid supercars? Or does the Internet need more "V12 cold start" videos?