FERRARI

Italian luxury carmaker saw around 50% of plug-in hybrid vehicle sales in 2023

Ferrari's magic has always been based on combining efficient, light and agile chassis with sophisticated mechanics to be simultaneously powerful and light, since weight is the biggest enemy of any super sports car. And, to achieve this winning cocktail, Italian engineers have always resorted to the most advanced technologies, but only when they were already mature enough, to obtain the advantages, but not the problems of youth.

This explains why, despite being the leader of the fastest and most fun-to-drive models, Ferrari assembled the first supercharged engine in 1982, in this case the GTB Turbo, for the first electrified model to appear only in 2013. We refer to the impressive Ferrari LaFerrari, a full hybrid with the atmospheric 6.3 V12 providing 800 hp, to which was added 163 hp from the electric motor fed by a small non-rechargeable battery, for a total of 963 hp, which allowed it to reach 350 km/h and announce 0- 100 km/h in just 3 seconds.

In 2023, the year in which the Cavallino Rampante manufacturer transacted 13,663 units (a new record for the Italian brand) with a range made up of four models equipped with plug-in hybrid mechanics (PHEV) and six models equipped exclusively with combustion engines, Ferrari sold almost half of PHEV vehicles, more precisely 44%, which shows that customers are increasingly moving away from proposals strictly with combustion engines, as demand for PHEV has doubled compared to 2022.

The most recent novelty from the Transalpine brand is the Purosangue crossover, a type of SUV, but less bulky to be more agile, with Ferrari reiterating its decision to limit its sales volume to just 20%, which not only allows it charging higher prices – the demand for this model is easily above 50% –, as this prevents the deterioration of the manufacturer's image as a manufacturer of sports cars. Ferrari seems to have taken advantage of the lesson provided by Porsche, a brand that, although it never approached the level of Ferrari and Lamborghini, the reality is that it has always had an excellent reputation based on sports cars that are more accessible than these Italian “monsters”, but very efficient and fast. Today it produces more than 60% of SUVs, which clashes with the image of a manufacturer of traditionally fast and efficient sports cars.

In addition to these PHEVs that are allowing Ferrari to grow and that have become the backbone of sales, the brand is also developing its 100% electric model, but also here, and once again, the Italians seem to have learned from history of the recent one from Porsche. That's why they have to guarantee that the battery-powered Ferrari will not be overtaken by any electric model, from a manufacturer with less history in this matter, as for example happened with the Porsche Taycan compared to the Tesla Model S Plaid and the Lucid Air Sapphire.

by Mundoquatrorodas