Ferrari, the world’s foremost sports car manufacturer, has joined the industry’s move toward electrification as it unveiled its 1st hybrid car, a “Concept” model painted Bright Green.
Ferrari said that the technology of its HY-KERS experimental vehicle, based on the regenerative braking system developed for its Formula One cars, could reduce its cars’ emissions by 35%. The company said it planned to begin introducing hybrid versions of all of its road cars within three to four years.

Ferrari said a Key aims of the project is to ensure that it complies with tighter CO2 emissions standards in the future, especially in urban driving conditions where sports cars are penalized most for their emissions levels, but where hybrids do well.

Luca di Montezemolo, Ferrari’s President and CEO, said that Ferrari was moving into hybrids because “in terms of technology we always want to anticipate the world”. He went on to say that he hoped that KERS – the kinetic energy recovery system introduced on Formula One cars but then scrapped for the current season, would be revived next year.

Ferrari said that the design of its Concept car, with its batteries positioned below the floorpan, would improve rather than hinder its performance by lowering the center of gravity.

Separately, Mr Di Montezemolo said that Ferrari’s business this year was shaping up in line with its Y 2009 performance, when its sales fell by 5% from record levels in Y 2008. Ferrari sells about 6,000 cars a year, and makes about 20% of its bottom-line profit from merchandising, licensing, and financial services.

Mr Di Montezemolo, who also serves as Fiat’s Chairman, said that the company faced a “fantastic challenge” at Chrysler, the US carmaker of which it owns 20%.

Porsche showed its own hybrid prototype, the 918 Spyder Concept, which it said would have gas mileage of 78 mls per gal.
On Monday, Volkswagen outlined plans to become dominant in electric cars by 2018. Daimler announced a partnership with Chinese battery and carmaker BYD to co-operate on a new electric model in China.—Paul A. Ebeling, Jnr. www.livetradingnews.com

Posted by Shayne Heffernan on Mar 3rd, 2010and filed underAutomobiles, Connoisseur's Club, Europe, Latest News.You can follow any responses to this entry through theRSS 2.0You can leave a response by filling following comment form or trackback to this entry from your site