Secrets of Ferrari’s first EV revealed! 1000hp high-performance Elettrica SUV shapes up ahead of 2026 launch and 2027 Aussie debut
Legendary Italian supercar-maker Ferrari has begun teasing its first ever EV, the 2026 Ferrari Elettrica.
The radical state-of-the-art SUV will debut next year and launch in Australia in the first half of 2027.
While the Elettrica is set for dramatic exterior styling and a radical cabin layout, we won’t see the finished item until early 2026.
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It will also debut with a new name when production commences.
Until then, the famous prancing horse brand wants to build our anticipation by showing off some of its pioneering EV hardware.
The Elettrica has been created to do battle with the inbound Lamborghini Lanzador and soon-to-be-introduced Bentley ‘Urban SUV’ at the very top of the global EV and production car market.
The difference between the Ferrari and its two Volkswagen Group owned rivals is all of the Elettrica’s EV tech has been developed in-house, including its sophisticated and powerful quad-motor powertrain.
Giving it a valuable head start over its rivals, Ferrari first started experimenting with electrified powertrains back in 2009 in Formula One.
It then went on to launch its plug-in hybrid 2013 LaFerrari, 2019 SF90 Stradale, and latest hybrid-powered 296 Speciale.
The reason Ferrari wasn’t tempted to develop an EV supercar is the brand thinks the performance gap between a full EV on track, compared to its latest 296, just wasn’t big enough to justify the switch to battery power.
It’s also understood demand from China for more usable and comfortable SUV-style EVs swung the balance.
Starting life as a clean sheet design, Ferrari said it first created an all-new aluminium architecture to underpin its first battery-electric vehicle.
A large 122kWh battery sited between the front and rear axles uses pouch cells sourced from Korea’s SK.
The battery is made up of 15 different modules that are sandwiched between water-cooled armoured plates.
Thanks to this cooling and a pioneering design, Ferrari says the new battery is lighter than rivals’ packs while boasting a high energy density of 195Wh per kg.
That figure is claimed to be class-leading, although in China Nio offers a semi-solid-state power pack that beats that figure (240Wh per kg).
Despite the impressive energy density and massive pack size, the Elettrica can only cover up to 530km on a charge.
Launched with powerful 880V electrics, fast-charging rates are also nothing to write home about, being limited to 350kW. A 10-80 per cent top-up will take at least 25 minutes.
The Elettrica employs a pair of e-motors driving the front axles that together produce 210kW. At the rear a twin motors have been combined to punch out a thumping 620kW.
Despite both front and rear e-axles bursting with power, Ferrari has packaged a compact, lightweight aluminium casing that neatly houses the motors, transmission and power electronics.
Off the line, the Elettrica launches from 0-100km/h in just 2.5 seconds before topping out at 310km/h.
Maximising performance, the front e-motor spins up to more than 30,000rpm, while the twin rear motors top out at 25,500rpm.
That’s far higher than the 18,000rpm a typical Tesla motor can manage, allowing Ferrari to save weight and use a single transmission.
With a target weight of less than 2300kg, more kilos were shaved off the kerb weight by using aluminium for both the space-frame chassis and all the suspension parts.
Luckily, the so-so efficiency is off-set by the all-new quad-motor powertrain that will produce at least 1000hp (736kW).
However, mass was added back in by employing the roll-cancelling active suspension from the F80, plus an agility-boosting rear-wheel steer system.
Claimed to be “unbelievable to drive”, engineers have mounted all the components low to the ground, reducing the centre of gravity by 80mm.
With a lower roll centre, engineers say that have softened-off the suspension to enhance the ride, compared to the F80 hypercar and Purosangue SUV, which uses the same tech.
In search of more comfort, Ferrari engineers were forced for the first time in the company’s history to use a sub-frame made from lightweight, hollowed out aluminium that slashes nasty vibrations, road and tyre noise generated by the rear axle.
By placing a sensor within the rear e-axle’s inverter, engineers can amplify the real sound of the e-motors under acceleration and acceleration and braking.
At the same time, they have managed to bless the Elettrica with its own unique and authentic soundtrack.
The idea was pinched from an electric guitar’s pick-up and is claimed to add a connection between the driver and powertrain that’s missing in all other EVs.
Dual steering wheel eManettinos allow the driver to switch the Elettrica into two-wheel drive mode (left dial) and pre-arm the chassis (right dial).
Virtual gearshifts are accessed using large paddles, with the left half crescent-shaped lever using regen to mimic engine braking.
There’s no word on just how much the new Ferrari Elettrica will cost when it lands in Australia but it’s expected to either sit below or at the same level as the $900,000 Purosangue SUV.
At that money it will be hard for buyers to overlook the production version of the Mercedes-AMG GT XX, or the Mercedes-AMG GT SUV that will follow.
Both should be quicker to 100km/h than the electric Italian stallion, pump out an astonishing 1000kW, hit 360km/h, be faster to charge and have a longer range, while packing even more sophisticated powertrain tech.
