The past several years have seen a push to eliminate sales of new combustion engine cars by 2035. This shift initially left brands like Ferrari in a conundrum because the essence of its cars revolves partly around the visceral thrill of a powerful V8 or V12 engine. However, as more legislation is crafted, it increasingly opens the possibility of combustion-engined cars living past 2035 if they run on environmentally friendly fuels.
While the legislation continues to evolve, Ferrari is moving ahead with plans to launch its first electric car in 2025. According to its CEO, Benedetto Vigna, the automaker is also on target to meet its carbon neutrality goal by 2030. However, Vigna quickly added that with the development of e-fuels moving faster than anticipated, it means "ICE still has a lot to do."
"The discussion that was happening a few weeks ago about the adoption of e-fuel; I thought that this would happen in 2025 or 2026," said Vigna. "This is very good for us because you can run a car with fuel that is neutral. I think that the two are very much compatible, and this is a reinforcement of our strategy."
That strategy remains closely guarded at Ferrari, which has provided very little information about how its products will evolve. While evident that it will continue developing combustion engines, Ferrari has yet to provide details. Vigna would only say that the automaker would continue launching hybrid, electric, and combustion-engined vehicles.
Ferrari has also remained secretive about its first electric vehicle. In an interview with Top Gear magazine last year, Vigna said that the company's first EV would be "unique, a true Ferrari." This week he added that suppliers have been identified, and the vehicle is nearly ready to make its debut.
The EU's latest proposals require that new combustion-engine vehicles manufactured after 2035 run exclusively on e-fuel. This requirement means existing engines must be revised to meet the new rules. Ferrari has not indicated if it would rework its current V6 and V8 engines or if the development of new engines is in the works.
