In an interview, Ferrari boss Benedetto Vigna gives an outlook on the electric future of the brand, praises Tesla and at the same time sticks to the combustion engine. You can read here why the first E-Ferrari won’t come until 2026.
Benedetto Vigna rarely gives interviews. He has been CEO since summer 2021, i.e. the top boss of Ferrari. The Bloomberg news agency was able to ask him a few questions about Ferrari's electric future, why the recently introduced Purosangue (see gallery) relies entirely on a V12 petrol engine without hybrid support and what he thinks of the Tesla brand.
Right at the beginning of the interview, the 53-year-old Italian makes it clear that Tesla has done a lot for the automotive industry. "Elon Musk gave the entire industry a wake-up call." According to Vigna, processes and decisions in large companies were simply too slow. "Tesla was much faster and more agile in many areas."
"Tesla only builds functional cars"
But Ferrari in particular hasn't exactly pushed the mobility revolution forward in recent years. Although there are some potent hybrid drives in the portfolio, the recently introduced SUV Purosangue relies on a V12 suction engine without electric support. For Vigna, Ferrari customers cannot be compared to those of Tesla.
"For me, Tesla models are functional cars. They are designed to drive from one point to another without emissions," says the Ferrari CEO. Ferraris, on the other hand, are extremely emotional vehicles that offer a unique driving experience. And here the Italian premium brand is clearly geared towards customer requirements.
"We will be CO₂-neutral by 2030"
For the future it is important for Ferrari to draw the greatest possible emotion from a technology such as electric mobility in order to offer the customer something unique. "Technically, battery electric cars are relatively simple," explains Vigna. And when it comes to driving pleasure, it's only about the combination of longitudinal acceleration, lateral acceleration, noise development, gear changes and braking. "That doesn't change if the drive is electric."
He doesn't see a threat to the brand from new drives. Rather, he recognizes uncertainties for the luxury industry in general. "How will future generations react to luxury items?" Sustainability and a clear plan to get there are now the focus. "When I say we want to be carbon neutral by the end of 2030, I mean by the end of 2030."
When is the first electric Ferrari coming?
In any case, progress towards the electrification of the fleet went according to plan. According to the CEO, the impression that Ferrari is hesitating here compared to other brands is not correct. However, a battery-electric model will not be presented until 2025 and will be on the market in 2026.
Until then, the Italians don't want to force the drive decision on their customers and prefer to offer a mix of technologies as long as possible. With the Purosangue, Ferrari makes it easy for customers - it is offered exclusively with combustion engines over the entire life cycle. In any case, the order books are full for the rest of 2024.
Conclusion
Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna praised Tesla's influence on the automotive industry in an interview and also gives an outlook on the electric future of his brand. The first pure e-Ferrari is not expected to come onto the market until 2026, until then the Italians will be relying on a mix of drive variants.
