Ferrari Plug-In Hybrid Owners Rarely Charge Their Cars
It would appear that not all Ferrari buyers are reading their owner manuals.
Owners of the company’s plug-in hybrids aren’t bothering to charge their electrified sportscars, according to CarExpert. The information comes from a pretty reliable source, too—Ferrari itself.
The revelation was made during a launch event for the 849 Testarossa earlier this month in Spain. It was there, while discussing the supercar’s eManettino driving modes, that the brand told the Australian website that the majority of its customers do not regularly charge their plug-in hybrids. Instead, they use their vehicles like a normal hybrid, relying on the combustion engine and regenerative braking to charge up the powertrain’s electric components. When they do fully charge the vehicles, it usually when they are in storage.
Ferrari SF90 Stradale
Ferrari
This insight came from the analysis of five years of ownership data. The same data showed the automaker that its customers rarely use the eManettino setting it has developed to allow them to take advantage of the plug-in hybrid technology in its cars. The 849 Testarossa, like other plug-in hybrid Prancing Horses, features four modes: eDrive, Hybrid, Performance, and Qualifying. The first, which is a pure-electric mode, and the second, which switches between power sources, are seldom if ever used, with customers preferring to have the combustion engine running at all times. Customers would need a full charge to properly utilize the modes, so that may be part of the reason why.
Of course, this shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that the brand’s drivers prefer traditional grunt to electric might. Few automakers are more associated with combustion power than Ferrari. The marque has also made clear that it uses electrification as a way to boost performance, rather than to reduce emissions or improve efficiency like other automakers. The 849 Testarossa’s powertrain makes 1,036 hp, with 819 hp coming from its twin-turbocharged V-8 and 217 hp from a trio of electric motors.
Despite this, the introduction of the 849 Testarossa, which will replace the SF90 family in the Ferrari lineup, shows that the marque knows there is still a value to electrification. The company will also rely on in-house battery production going forward, something that, Road & Track points out, will allow it to have more control over longevity and lead to potential upgrades in the future.
Click here to see more photos of Ferrari’s plug-in hybrid models.
