According to a minister in Mario Draghi’s government, Italy is negotiating with the European Union on how to protect supercar manufacturers, including Ferrari and Lamborghini, from plans to phase out internal-combustion vehicles by 2035.
Although the Italian government fully supports Europe’s commitment to reduce emissions by phasing out the most polluting engines, “there is a niche market in the huge car market, and it is working with the European Commission on how the new rules apply to high ecological transition. In an interview with Bloomberg Television at the Ambrosetti Forum in Cernobbio, Italy, Roberto Cingolani said that the number of cars of end-car manufacturers is much lower than that of mainstream manufacturers.
“These cars require very special technology, and they need batteries to make the transition,” he said. “An important step is that Italy has gained autonomy in the production of high-performance batteries, which is why we are now launching the Gigafactory program to install a very large-scale battery production facility in Italy.”
The European Commission announced in July that it plans to phase out sales of new internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035 as part of the region’s efforts to reduce emissions that contribute to global warming. This timetable is particularly challenging for luxury car manufacturers that produce cars with powerful engines that emit above-average pollution levels. The sales of these automakers have dropped significantly, limiting the economies of scale gained from converting production plants. A spokesperson for the European Commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Singorani, a former non-executive director of Ferrari, told Bloomberg that the number of vehicles affected by the exemption accounted for only a small part of the multi-million market. Ferrari’s sales in 2020 are approximately 9,100 vehicles, while Lamborghini’s sales are approximately 7,400 vehicles.
“This is something we are discussing with other partners in Europe, and I believe there will be no problems.”
Electromagnetic resistance
Ferrari will become one of the most iconic supercar manufacturers, benefiting from the possible exemption from the phase-out target. The company still does not produce all-electric vehicles and is making slow progress in electrification. A Ferrari spokesperson declined to comment on Xingorani’s comments.
The Italian manufacturer will launch its first car to run entirely on batteries in 2025, chairman John Elkan said earlier this year. In contrast, Porsche’s all-electric Taycan has been on the road since 2019. Ferrari will share more details of its plan on the Capital Markets Day next year. It will also start selling its first SUV Purosangue in 2022-a few years after the launch of Bentley’s Bentayga and Lamborghini’s Urus.
Benedetto Vigna, who took over as CEO on September 1, will draw up a roadmap for Ferrari during the days when the internal combustion engine is declining. The former STMicroelectronics executive led the chip manufacturer’s division, which provides Apple with key sensors. Navigation systems for iPhones and car manufacturers.
“This is a global policy issue. People are clearly aware of the need to transition to electric vehicles. In a century-old transformation, this is not a problem,” Cingolani said.
