FERRARI

Paparazzi caught Ferrari testing a Tesla Model S Plaid

The four-wheel paparazzi, installed outside Ferrari's headquarters in Maranello, catch all the cars that the Cavallino Rampante brand's technicians test on public roads and, in recent days, the surprise has been provided by a Tesla Model S Plaid. The strangeness is due to the fact that the North American brand cannot be considered a direct rival (or even an approximate one...) of the mythical manufacturer founded in 1939 by Enzo Ferrari. However, there is no doubt that both manufacturers benefit from this test session.

It is known that Ferrari is developing its first 100% electric model (EV), encouraged by the fact that, in 2023, almost 50% of models sold will have been plug-in hybrids (PHEV). The brand's CEO assured, at the end of last year, that the development of the electric Ferrari is going well. “We are more advanced than we initially expected”, said Benedetto Vigna. What this person refused to say was the name of the battery supplier, choosing not to answer a direct question posed by Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas.

Building a new factory within the facilities in Maranello (which should be operational in June), to produce the first tram and PHEVs there, everything indicates that Ferrari will be able to launch its EV in the last quarter of 2025. And it won't stay here, as the Italians predict that battery-powered models will represent 40% of sales by 2030. But, for the future of Ferrari, it is crucial that its electric vehicles do not fall below the competition, with transalpine managers not wanting to repeat the mistake of Porsche, whose Taycan, even after being renewed in 2024, continues to lag behind its rivals from Tesla and Lucid, which would never happen if models with combustion engines were involved.

Although the Rimac Nevera – with 1,914 hp, 412 km/h and 1.81 seconds from 0-100 km/h – is much more of a direct rival to Ferrari's sports coupés, everything indicates that the Italian brand's first EV will be a kind of Purosangue, that is, a battery-powered crossover. This explains the use of the Model S Plaid, which with 1020 hp is closer to what Ferrari can hope to produce. Still, the Plaid, with a top speed of 322 km/h and 0-100 km/h in 2.1 seconds, beats even the most powerful and sporty Ferrari, the SF90 XX Stradale, a PHEV that provides 1030 hp, reaches 320 km/h and surpasses the 100 km/h mark in 2.3 seconds.

What is certain is that if the Cavallino Rampante brand certainly reaped dividends from its analyzes of the Plaid, Tesla also benefits from the attention that its sports saloon received. Firstly, because it is always good for any manufacturer when a manufacturer like Ferrari dedicates attention to one of its vehicles and, secondly, because this means that the Italian house puts the Model S above other proposals on the market, starting with the Porsche Taycan.

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