Gliding on robotic haulers, a line of Ferrari frames maneuvers through a gleaming new factory in Northern Italy. At each station, engineers in cherry red uniforms add a component — an engine block, a dashboard, a steering wheel — as they transform the bodies into hybrid vehicles. Up next: fully electric.
A lot is riding on Ferrari’s 200-million-euro “e-building,” which went into operation last month and is nearly twice the size of Rome’s Colosseum. The factory is intended to bring the 77-year-old sports-car maker, known for the sonorous vroom of its gas engines, into the age of electrification.
However, the transition to electric vehicles, initially expected to swiftly usher in a climate-friendly transport era, has encountered challenges due to costly investments and slowing global demand. Luxury carmakers like Mercedes-Benz and Lamborghini have scaled back their electric ambitions. Tesla recently reported declining second-quarter sales, and Ford Motor announced a shift towards more hybrids due to losses in the electric vehicle sector. Additionally, the escalating trade tensions between China and the West pose a threat to industry growth.
Despite the hurdles, Ferrari perceives an opportunity in the automotive industry’s inevitable move towards electrification to cater to a new clientele: the affluent environmentalist. The company plans to reveal its first fully electric model in the fourth quarter of next year. To refine the car’s aesthetics, Ferrari has engaged LoveFrom, the design agency co-founded by Jony Ive, Apple’s former design chief, and the renowned industrial designer Marc Newson.
