As Dewey said in the Malcolm in the Middle sitcom, “The future is now, old man.” In the third quarter of the year, deliveries of hybrids outsold ICEs at Ferrari. The surprising disclosure was made in an official document presented to investors to let them know how the house of Maranello performed in July through September. In this interval, 3,188 cars with the fabled Prancing Horse were shipped, up by 271 cars compared to Q3 2022.
Of the total volume, 51.3 percent were hybrids and only 48.7 percent were pure gasoline cars. Ferrari’s product portfolio in Q3 2023 included nine ICE models and four hybrids. As a refresher, the Italian marque’s first purely electric model isn’t due until 2025. Meanwhile, demand in the third quarter was fueled by the 296 and SF90 lineups, both of which have plug-in hybrid powertrains. These are the company’s first PHEVs as the LaFerrari didn’t have a charging port. Well, you could juice up the main battery using a battery tender.
It remains to be seen if this will become the new norm as the mighty V12-powered Purosangue was in the ramp-up phase, so the high-performance SUV could tip the scales in the ICE’s favor. Spy shots have revealed there’s also an 812 replacement on the horizon, and that one too might skip hybridization. However, not even Ferrari is immune to stricter emissions regulations, so it needs to adapt.
Consequently, the future is undoubtedly electric. By the end of the decade, Ferrari projects 40 percent of cars delivered to customers won’t have an internal combustion engine. Another 40 percent are expected to be hybrids, leaving just 20 percent for pure ICEs.
While the future might seem grim for the good ol’ gas engine, it could get a new lease on life if e-fuels become a sustainable solution. Earlier this year, Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna said “ICE still has a lot to do,” adding that “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.”
