Ferrari To Unveil First Hybrid at Geneva Auto Show

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Ferrari To Unveil First Hybrid at Geneva Auto Show

Eric Loveday

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1,607 views Jan 30, 2010

2009 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano

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It's highly unlikely that anyone could have ever guessed that Ferrari would launch a hybrid product, but believe it or not the time is coming. The company will officially show off its first hybrid product at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show in March.

Ferrari and hybrid are two unlikely words to find in the same sentence, but the company's decision to go green does not appear to effect the company's performance image at all. The hybrid to be displayed will be a 599 GTB Fiorano. It is expected to have a rear mount electric motor, a lithium-ion battery source, and a version of the KERS energy recovery system.

Unofficial numbers put the hybrid around 14 miles per gallon, not typical hybrid figures, but the gasoline powered version only returns 9 mpg, so 14 is quite an improvement.

The vehicle will employ Ferrari's famous V12 engine supplemented by the KERS system. The KERS setup captures energy from braking to charge the batteries. The batteries along with the electric motor allow for added power during short stints of high acceleration driving. Additionally, the vehicle is expected to employ engine shut down while not in motion, which will reduce gasoline consumption.

Ferrari discussed the possibility of a hybrid model last summer, but did not disclose much information at the time. Now, the word is official from the company. It will be unveiled in Geneva this March with more information to follow prior to the show.

Source: Edmunds.com

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Comments (5)

Adam Posted: 1/30/2010 6:50am PST

Future will see only hybrid cars on the roads. I think competition among the car manufacturers is increasing regarding hybrid cars.

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Nick From Montreal Posted: 1/31/2010 2:33am PST

The Tesla Roadster and Audi e-Tron have proved that one can achieve world-class performance from electric power trains with a limited R&D investment.
This is the first step toward Ferrari having a full-electric model. Rich people have a conscience too.

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Roy Posted: 1/31/2010 3:25am PST

I believe that EVs will ultimately be higher performance than ICEs. They will win races. People after the ultimate in high performance will buy EVs for this reason. Many rich people buy Ferrari and similar vehicles because of status and not performance. These people are more likely to purchase hybrids and EVs before they exceed ICEs in performance.

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classic Mustang Posted: 1/31/2010 11:00am PST

With Ferrari's racing heritage, it should be interesting to see just how far they can push the performance envelope, both hybrid and maybe full electric!

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W.Palmer Posted: 2/6/2010 4:29pm PST

The electric motors that drive the Ford Fusion are potentially the same as those that drive the Ferrari. Electric motors are not difficult or expensive to design, in fact I would venture to say it is more a question of quality than design and that is not expensive or difficult to achieve either.
Ferrari build very expensive and super tuned minutely designed gasoline engines, which is, together with a super tuned suspension, practically all that their cars are. This is what wins races and gives those who can afford their cars the absolute in internal combustion engine and road holding performance.
The sun is setting on internal combustion technology, but lets face it you can use a Brigs and Stratton lawnmower engine to charge a battery, What are Ferrari offering for a six figure car?

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