Key Takeaways
- Ferrari’s first electric model set to arrive in late 2025 with an “authentic” sound.
- Ferrari uses intricate auditory feedback devices instead of fake engine noise for its electric model.
- Ferrari plans to maintain its identity by exploring all forms of propulsion while ensuring they all sound like Ferraris.
Gone are the days when Ferrari executives said the brand would never produce an electric model, with the company’s first electric model set to arrive in late 2025. Perhaps no company has more to overcome with the transition to electrification than Ferrari, as the company has perfected its image in relation to the sights and sounds its sports cars make. Fortunately, it appears the company has managed to overcome the sound problem.
Ferrari
Ferrari is an Italian manufacturer of sports cars, supercars, and luxury grand tourers founded by and named after Enzo Ferrari in 1939 – originally as Auto Avio Costruzioni due to legal complications with Alfa Romeo. Ferrari famously only produced roadgoing sports cars as a means of funding its racing exploits, which include multiple F1 World Championships and wins at Le Mans and various other prestigious races. Today, Ferrari is one of the most valuable brand names in the world, limiting production of its highly-sought-after models to maintain desirability, which is in no short supply when they’re powered by some of the world’s most advanced V6, V8, and V12 engines.
- Founded
- 1939 (as Auto Avio Costruzioni)
- Founder
- Enzo Ferrari
- Headquarters
- Maranello, Italy
- Owned By
- Publically Traded
- Current CEO
- Benedetto Vigna
Emanuele Carando, Ferrari’s Head of Product Marketing, revealed to the Australian publication Drive that the company plans for the model’s sound to be “authentic.” He went on to say “You will see. You will hear,” and that the model will deliver the emotions one expects from a Ferrari, but these emotions will be different from any of the other models in the lineup.
How Will It Make An “Authentic” Sound?
While many EVs, from the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N to the Ford Mustang Mach-E, have experimented with fake engine noise, Ferrari believes such an act is beneath it. This is why it’s created an intricate system of auditory feedback devices that use the genuine sounds of the vehicle’s motors and aero to create its roar. When CarBuzz discovered the patents a few months ago, we dove into how the intricate systems work.
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The first patent outlines an electric drive axle with a sound transmission device that sends the sound directly to the cabin. It’s able to do this thanks to a series of resonators and valves that can adjust the sound depending on the situation much in the same way an active exhaust can. The second patent is a little more odd, as it outlines a series of aero instruments underneath a car that create noise as the car’s speed increases. The benefit is it can be connected to a traditional grille, so we can still utilize the grille as a design instrument in future vehicles.
The Company Won’t Let Electrification Take Its Identity
It’s unknown if the future electric Ferrari will use one or either of these patents, but they would be great ways for the company to produce “authentic” sounds. The purpose of such systems is so the company stays true to itself, and the only reason it’s even releasing an EV in the first place is because it believes it can fill a void in the supercar industry. “We didn’t communicate we’ll move 100% to electric vehicles, but we only said we offer a new technology because we think there is an opportunity to deliver new driving thrills thanks to that technology,” said Carando.
Related
Only One Thing Could Force Ferrari To Stop Making V12 Engines
They’ll keep making V12 engines for as long as possible.
The company is going to take pride in its combustion for as long as it can, and it doesn’t plan on messing with its iconic formula by throwing turbocharging at engines that don’t need it. It’s much more likely to continue introducing hybrid models like the SF90 and 296 GTB, and may even release another NA V12 hybrid in the future. In the end, the company will explore all forms of propulsion for as long as possible, but at least we can rest assured they’ll all sound like Ferraris.
Source:
Drive