Ferrari is not afraid of Chinese electric cars. Wrongfully?

At nearly 80 years old, Ferrari has survived all eras and trends. But is the Italian diva ready to face the electric threat?

The very discreet but brilliant CEO of Ferrari, Benedetto Vigna, for the first time addressed the threat of Chinese brands during an interview on Bloomberg TV. While the United States and European nations no longer hide their desire to increase tariffs on Chinese manufacturers, the Italian is more measured. “There is talk of war, he assures, but I think more in terms of healthy competition”. It’s a competition where the participants are ready to hit back because the Chinese government certainly won’t stay idle if their production is overtaxed. But unlike BMW or Mercedes, for whom the Chinese market is of primary importance, Ferrari is much less exposed, as it exports very little to the Middle Kingdom. “China isn’t for us what it is for other brands,” explains the CEO. “The luxury car market there isn’t yet mature.”

Today, Ferrari can comfortably sell its roaring combustion engines in Europe, the United States, and emerging Middle Eastern markets, but what about tomorrow? While the Cavalino Rampante has already electrified with the LaFerrari and the more recent SF90 Stradale, it will take a significant step in 2025 with the introduction of the very first 100% electric Ferrari. A new playing field on which Ferrari will, for the first time in a long while, need to prove itself.

Tesla and the Chinese

There’s Tesla and its Model S Plaid and Model 3 Performance, which can hold their own against some Maranello productions. Then there’s the Roadster, a project announced in 2017, promised for 2020… and still absent. Little is known about this electric car, except that Elon Musk promises a 0 to 100 km/h acceleration in just 1 second! Aside from Charles Leclerc’s victorious SF-24 this weekend in Monaco, no car bearing the Cavalino Rampante brand performs as well.

Most Ferrari owners are content to roar their engines through tunnels to impress passengers or pretend to be drag racers at toll booths, never fully exploiting their cars’ capabilities in turns. So for engine noise, Tesla will never match Ferrari, that’s a given… unless the Roadster is equipped with thrusters developed by SpaceX! Don’t laugh; that’s a route Tesla is exploring at Elon Musk’s request. When it comes to straight-line sensations, the Roadster could surpass any Ferrari.

And what about this notorious Chinese threat? Take the YangWang U9 developed by BYD. 1,300 horsepower electric motor power for accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 2 seconds, an Hypercar-style carbon body from the 24 Hours of Le Mans, active suspension to handle the 2-ton beast, and 700 km of range. Impressive, isn’t it? Of course, the BYD logo can’t rival the Italian badge, but if the Chinese car is priced at a third of its Italian equivalent, does it really matter?

What is expensive is rare, and what is rare is precious, but four powerful electric motors and a big battery pack will never cost as much to produce as a noble V12. Does this mean that the electric Ferrari will have to be significantly cheaper at equal performance than a 100% thermal model? That’s not out of the question. So let’s be certain that behind Vigna’s calm façade, Ferrari is not about to relax.

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