(Milan) The Italian luxury car manufacturer Ferrari marked its entry into the electric era on Friday by inaugurating a new state-of-the-art assembly site in Maranello, its historic headquarters, which will see the birth of its models of the future.
Without renouncing its legendary brand DNA that makes automobile enthusiasts around the world dream, Ferrari is preparing to take the plunge towards its first 100% electric model: this sports car will be presented at the end of 2025 and produced on the new site from January 2026.
A huge challenge for the prancing horse brand, known above all for its powerful and roaring combustion engines.
Thanks to its “e-building” in which Ferrari has invested 200 million euros, the group intends to obtain “greater production flexibility depending on demand, reduce the development time of new models” and “reduce emissions per car produced,” explained its CEO Benedetto Vigna.
“We don’t want to increase production capacity, but have more flexibility to make customizations for customers,” he argued.
The 4.2-hectare plant will house the production of both traditional internal combustion engines and hybrid and electric engines, “all capable of guaranteeing the driving emotions specific to Ferrari”, assures the luxury brand.
Chief tester, Ferrari president John Elkann was enthusiastic on Wednesday: “I’ve driven it and it’s incredible, in every way”, the “thrills and excitement you’ll feel” on board of the future electric car “will be simply exceptional”.
And what about the iconic roar of Ferrari engines? “There will be a sound,” he promised, without revealing further details.
At the start of 2025, the new production line will welcome the Purosangue SUV, orders for which have exceeded all expectations, and the SF90 Stradale, Ferrari’s first plug-in hybrid sports car.
The new site will also produce electrical components considered strategic, such as high-voltage batteries, electric axles and electric motors.
The building, which is expected to be operational within weeks, is powered in part by more than 3,000 1.3-megawatt solar panels installed on the roof. By the end of the year, the factory will be entirely powered by renewable energy, Ferrari assures.
100% electric and hybrid models should represent 60% of the manufacturer’s production by 2026 and 80% by 2030, according to the 2022-2026 strategic plan presented two years ago.
The prestigious brand currently has four hybrid models. The first hybrid car was produced in 2013, the LaFerrari supercar.
By 2026, 40% of product investments will be allocated to hybrid cars and 35% to fully electric vehicles.
Ferrari is targeting a turnover of 6.7 billion euros in 2026, significantly exceeding the revenue of 5.9 billion recorded in 2023.
An objective that the manufacturer intends to achieve in particular by launching fifteen new models over the period 2023-2026.
Ferrari unveiled three models for the road last year, the Roma Spider, SF90 XX Stradale and Spider, as well as two for the track, the 296 Challenge and 499P Modificata.
The brand founded in 1947 by Enzo Ferrari broke all records on the results front in 2023, with profits exceeding the one billion euro mark for the first time.
On the racing side, Ferrari made a resounding comeback after 50 years of absence at the 24 Hours of Le Mans last year, winning the event and thus ending five years of Toyota hegemony.
Last Sunday, the Italian manufacturer repeated the feat by winning again at Le Mans, after an epic battle with Porsche, Toyota and Cadillac.
Ferrari announced in February the arrival in 2025 of Lewis Hamilton, seven-time Formula 1 world champion, who will join the legendary Italian team after twelve seasons spent at Mercedes.