Last year, the Raging Bull of Sant'Agata Bolognese was spied testing a Tesla Model X Plaid on public roads just outside Lamborghini's factory. That sighting is hardly flabbergasting due to the Lanzador, a zero-emission concept vehicle that previews a series-production vehicle for 2028.
The Prancing Horse of Maranello has also been spotted testing a Tesla, but as opposed to Lamborghini, the folks at Ferrari chose a Model S Plaid. The full-electric sedan features high-voltage stickers, no-cost Bianco Perla Micalizzato paintwork, and standard 19-inch wheels. Kind of curious that Ferrari didn't go with the 21s, but then again, bear in mind that larger wheels also mean poorer driving range (695 versus 600 kilometers WLTP or 359 versus 320 miles in the US of A).
As for the reason why the Italian automaker is testing a Tesla Model S Plaid, that would be Ferrari's very on electric vehicle. Originally intended for 2023, the mysterious EV was postponed to 2025 when former chief executive officer Louis Camilleri was calling the shots. Back in 2022, the leader of the Agnelli family told shareholders that the EV would launch in 2025.
Closer to the present, Ferrari's 2023 results presentation reads the following: "Inauguration of the e-building and 3 new model launches." Can you guess what e-building means in this context? Obviously enough, Ferrari refers to a factory expansion. Said facility will include a battery research & development center. According to chief executive officer Benedetto Vigna, the automaker targets 40 percent of its sales to comprise zero-emission vehicles by 2030. The new facility could be ready as soon as June 2024, and at full capacity, it will manufacture up to 15,000 vehicles per year.
There are plenty of unanswered questions, though. What kind of electric vehicle are we dealing with? Will it feature a dual-motor setup or three motors like the Model S Plaid? Is the yet-unnamed EV more powerful than the 1-megawatt Lanzador? Unfortunately, no answers can be given at the present moment. Heck, the carparazzi have yet to catch a chassis mule of the much-anticipated EV.
Photo: Ferrari
Looking at the bigger picture, Ferrari will certainly take inspiration from Tesla and its direct competitor. We can assume 1,000-plus horsepower due to the Plaid's 1,020 horsepower and the Lanzador's 1,341 horsepower. It's also easy to imagine two electric motors at the very least, a brand-new platform developed specifically for EV applications, up to four seats à la the Purosangue, and up to five doors à la the aforementioned SUV.
There's no denying that Formula 1 technologies will trickle down to the newcomer, especially battery tech. One could also make a case for the S-duct system, which Ferrari adapted for its road-going range in 2018 with the limited-edition 488 Pista.
While it may be polarizing, the Ferrari Purosangue is a Ferrari through and through. It's only natural for the automaker's first electric vehicle to be unlike any other electric vehicle in production today, chiefly because it's the Ferrari of electric vehicles.
Expected to enter series production in the latter half of 2025, the long-awaited EV will be – without a shadow of a doubt – rather expensive. However, it remains to be seen whether it will be pricier than the plug-in hybrid SF90 Stradale or slotted between the SF90 Stradale and the plug-in hybrid 296 GTB.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News