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The inevitable is happening–Ferrari will launch its first electric car in 2025. It currently looks like a Roma and a Levante spent a wild night together and had a baby. However, don’t judge the vehicle’s appearance just yet. This is merely a test mule, complete with comically fake quad exhaust tips. Speaking of things that aren’t real, listen to that artificial V-8 engine noise. What a time to be alive, right?
We’ll have to admit it sounds quite convincing, so much so that people who are not car nerds will think it’s the real deal. But that yellow high-voltage sign reserved for EV test vehicles is a dead giveaway that there’s no combustion engine underneath the hood. Another hint is represented by those squeaky clean, slightly misaligned exhaust tips attached to the rear apron with what looks to be aluminum foil.
Getting back to the soundtrack, Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna recently said the company’s electric cars will not be silent. Each zero-emission Prancing Horse will have dedicated “sound signatures,” and it appears Maranello’s first foray into the EV realm will mimic a V-8. It remains to be seen whether this “feature” will be an option or standard equipment.
It’ll be interesting to find out if owners can turn it off. However, there are many places around the world where regulations stipulate an EV must emit an artificial sound signal to alert passersby. For example, in the 27 countries part of the European Union, the law dictates that electric cars must have an acoustic vehicle alerting system. The AVAS kicks in after starting the car and remains active until the vehicle reaches around 12 mph.
Ferrari isn’t the first Italian brand to develop a sporty sound for its performance cars. Aside from the Maserati GranTurismo Folgore, even the lesser Abarth 500e has a Sound System Generator feature. The latter apparently took more than 6,000 hours to finalize the sound of the external speaker mounted under the car’s rear. In case you haven’t heard it, this is how the “revs” sound on the electric hot hatch:
Sticking with Stellantis (although Ferrari technically isn’t part of it), the new electric Dodge Charger has something called the “Fratzonic.” It pumps out a similar V-8 note, and we’ll admit it sounds pretty good. However, nothing can ever beat the original sound made by the big ol’ HEMI. The same goes for Ferrari’s naturally aspirated engines.
Fake sound aside, the first electric Ferrari might be more practical than the usual crop of supercars built by the exotic automaker. The fact it’s hiding under a Levante body suggests it might have rear doors and could be an SUV to sit alongside the Purosangue unless it is labeled as a GT of some sort.
We should find out the true shape of the EV once the car paparazzi spot a prototype carrying the production body. It should happen by the end of this year or early in 2025.
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