The CEO of Ferrari, Sergio Marchionne, was recently in Detroit at the American International Auto Show where he announced that Ferrari would start the production of a supercar that is battery-electric, in a bid to compete against Tesla.
He also confirmed future plans of bringing Ferrari SUVs into the market. For several years now, Tesla has dominated the electric vehicle industry with a range of luxurious electric car models that no other company has been able to match yet. They have been able to grab a lion share of the electric supercar market and other companies in the sector have been trying to come up with their own models as well. Most haven’t come forward with any concrete plans, however, but this is about to change thanks to what Ferrari is trying to accomplish.
When is the Electric Ferrari Supercar Expected to Launch?
There is not a lot of detail on the exact launch date for the Ferrari electric supercar, although most people expect it to be before 2020 when Tesla unveils its improved Roadster. Many reports speculate that more information about the electric vehicles by Ferrari will be provided when Sergio Marchionne releases the company’s five-year plan, which will be his last before he retires.
Sergio Marchionne has served the company since 2004 and is expected to retire in 2021 as one of the longest-serving CEOs in the auto industry. He has left his imprint on the company in many ways and he might be trying to cement his legacy with the carmaker with this last project. Most reports advocate for a late 2019 or an early 2020 release date for the new electric models, though some believe it may even be sooner, taking into consideration the resource capability of Ferrari.
Will the Production of Electric Cars Prove Easy for Ferrari?
Marchionne told Bloomberg that Ferrari is looking to increase their annual deliveries from 10,000, which is self-imposed. This increase in production will include the manufacture of hybrid cars according to Sergio Marchionne, and moving to an electric should, therefore, be easy and smooth. Hybrid vehicles are also gaining in popularity and performance, and many companies have recently launched a few models that have taken the consumer market by storm. These models have been able to correct some of the issues with recent hybrid models and make them more palatable to the public.
When Will Ferrari Start Rolling Out Hybrid Vehicles?
In the report by Marchionne, he also outlined that Ferrari will launch its hybrid vehicles by late 2019 including its first SUV, which according to the report will be the fastest SUV yet. Consumers expect Ferrari’s hybrids to be unique and have an equally strong engine that can deploy lots of horsepower. The Ferrari hybrid launch will mark as an essential step towards satisfying the current consumer needs especially since Ferrari was considered to lag behind when it came to technology.
What will The Electric Supercar Look Like
Marchionne was very scarce on the exact details of how consumers should expect the electric supercar to look like. He, however, hinted that they would be producing both an electric Ferrari-branded SUV and an electric supercar.
These electric supercars will “capture the electric spirit” according to Marchionne. He also emphasized that they will look like what a Ferrari utility vehicle is supposed to look like and that it has to drive with the same feel as any other Ferrari. It is expected that the external and internal look of the electric Ferrari be just a little bit different from the original Ferrari design that we are accustomed to, but it won’t be extreme.
Does the Move to Electric Come as a Surprise?
Back in 2016, Marchionne announced that they plan to have a few hybrids by 2019. He also stated in May last year that the company is planning to move towards electrification. The move to the creation of an electric vehicle should, therefore, not be surprising, but instead be long overdue. It, however, was not expected that Sergio Marchionne would release the plans to build an electric supercar in Detroit.
Almost everyone believed that Ferrari, the car brand that dominates the most expensive cars ever bought has said would make its plans for a super electric car public in its five-year plan announcement.
What can we Expect for the Future?
The Tesla Company finally has a worthy competitor, and hopefully, this will lead to the creation of amazing electric supercars. Competition is necessary to speed up production in the auto industry, and it also ensures that companies provide excellent quality and efficiency.
Soon enough the auto industry will enter a new generation of fully electrified vehicles, something that has been long-awaited by consumers. It is expected that many other auto industry companies will commence vehicle electrification in the coming years.
