When Enzo Ferrari founded his luxury sports car brand in 1929, the idea of producing an electrically powered vehicle was but a distant dream. Today, with the release of the Ferrari SF90 Stradale, the company’s first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, the tide is slowly turning.
The LaFerrari, previously known as the F150, can claim the title of the first hybrid vehicle produced by the Italian Supercar Manufacturer in Maranello, Italy. Nonetheless, the SF90, is the brand’s first plug-in hybrid EV (PHEV). An important distinction for a company which has publicly suggested intentions to transition to an all-electric product line in the years to come.
The Ferrari SF90 Stradale is not going to break any records when it comes to its all-electric range. Driven solely on electric power, the car only manages 16 miles. That being said, this is still an important evolutionary step for a brand which has long been associated with gas guzzling, high performance sports cars.
The SF90 is powered by 3 little electric motors which together, generate an output of 162 kW. A 7.9 kWh battery provides the juice necessary to accelerate the car with electricity alone, up to a generous speed of 84 mph.
After that, a 780 HP V8 Turbo kicks in. The SF90 is an all-wheel drive supercar that is as thrilling to drive as it is to admire.
An Evolutionary Step Towards an Electric Future for Ferrari
Ferrari has been enthusiastic about its ability to translate its knowledge honed on race tracks around the world into production vehicles legal on city streets. They suggest a 0-60 mph acceleration time of only 2.5 seconds as being well in the reach of this Italian Stallion.
Ferrari explained the ‘SF90 Stradale’ name:
“The car’s name encapsulates the true significance of all that has been achieved in terms of performance. The reference to the 90th anniversary of the foundation of Scuderia Ferrari underscores the strong link that has always existed between Ferrari’s track and road cars. A brilliant encapsulation of the most advanced technologies developed in Maranello, the SF90 Stradale is also the perfect demonstration of how Ferrari immediately transitions the knowledge and skills it acquires in competition to its production cars.”
Check Out the Ferrari SF90 Stradale’s Driving Modes
The forthcoming Ferrari SF90 Stradale features four distinct driving modes.
The most environmentally friendly of these is labeled as “eD” on the car’s dashboard. Short for electric driving, in this mode the 7.9 kWh battery sends power to the car’s front wheels. In this mode, the SF90 can drive about 15 miles with front wheel drive.
The “H” button, standing for hybrid, places the car into a mode which favors efficiency. In this mode, all three of the SF90’s electric motors kick into gear. The dual e-motors in front power the front wheels, a third e-motor works between the engine and transmission, finally, the 4.0 liter V8 Engine powers the rear wheels. The car is designed to be able to shift between “H” and “eD” mode seamlessly during times with low engine loads.
A Checkered Flag is used to signify “Performance” mode. Here the car’s engine is always running and the car is focused on maintaining a charge to its battery.
A Clock Icon is used to distinguish the fastest mode of all. In the “Qualify” mode shown in the video, the SF90 is able to reach its peak of 986 HP. At this time, its not clear if this might also be possible in “Performance Mode”.
Source: Ferrari