Ferrari Working On Hybrid Vehicle

Ferrari president Luca Cordero di Montezemolo confirmed that the company is working on a hybrid vehicle program, in response to a proposed European Council ruling that would require automakers to produce vehicles with an average CO2 emission of no more than 130g/km by 2012.

Montezemolo says that the company is working on a Ferrari that will use alternative fuel sources and will be based on its Formula-1 development platform, which uses regenerative braking to store energy and boost acceleration. If successful, the hybrid Ferrari would cut the automaker's current CO2 average by almost half. Ferrari's strategy also involves reducing the vehicle's weight.

The company will likely miss the proposed EC deadline of 2012. The new hybrid, which Montezemolo promises will be "fundamentally a Ferrari", will not be available to consumers until about 2015. The company has also recently indicated that it is considering the production of a model powered by a turbocharged V6 engine to balance its desire to produce high-performance sports cars that meet or exceed increasingly strict emissions regulations.

Source: Motor Authority
Photo: Steve Woods