Ferrari’s first electric car is coming, and it could sound like a V12
May 07, 2025 by Jamie Edkins
Car changing is a big deal
It looks like it’ll be an SUV which will sit alongside the Purosangue, although if that car is anything to go by then Ferrari won’t want you calling it an SUV…
- New Ferrari electric car coming soon
- Patents filed for a fake gear shift system…
- … as well as a new type of sound generator
- Likely to be an SUV
- More details to follow in October
The day is coming where Ferrari, the brand famous for its screaming V12s, is making a car with no engine at all. It may not have a name yet – although it’s being called the Elettrica internally.
A few patents have surfaced which suggest that this new electric SUV could have fake gearshifts, like a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, as well as a sound generator which may make it sound like a V8 or even a V12. More details about the motors will be revealed in October, with a full reveal expected in 2026.
New Ferrari Elettrica motors and sound
Official details about power and performance will be revealed at the end of 2025, however some patents have surfaced which give some insight into the technology which will underpin the new Ferrari Elettrica.
The most interesting patent appears to be for a virtual gearshift system, a bit like you get on the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. It states: “Although the electric power train systems allow to improve performance, as they are always able to take advantage of the maximum acceleration available for a given speed, the pilot’s involvement in making certain choices is reduced, thereby reducing driving pleasure, especially in the case of high-performance sports vehicles.”
There’s a lot of techy terminology in the official documents, but essentially it looks like the Elettrica will use software to simulate gears without the need for a physical gearbox. This means it’ll “rev” up like a petrol-engined car and allow you to “upshift” using paddles behind the steering wheel.
However, unlike the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, it doesn’t look like Ferrari’s new EV will rely entirely on artificial noise through the speakers to improve the driving experience. There’s another patent for a new type of sound generator.
It revolves around a device called a “harmonic oscillator”, of which multiple live within the electric motor. These are capable of producing a sound which is similar to a petrol engine as the motor spins up, and this sound is then piped into the cabin.
This is likely to work in harmony with artificial sounds sent through the speakers, as the patent also mentions audio files with a selection of “historical, modern or futuristic, adrenaline-filled, relaxed sounds”. So you’ll probably be able to choose which engine you want your electric Ferrari to emulate, whether that’s a screaming V12, a booming V8 or a sonorous V6.
New Ferrari Elettrica design
In terms of design, these spy shots of an early test mule are the only pictures we have to go off for now – and it’s unlikely to be a true representation of what the Ferrari Elettrica will look like.
It is rumoured that this will be an SUV which will sit alongside the V12-powered Purosangue, although like that car, Ferrari will probably insist that it’s not actually an SUV but is in fact a “Four-door, four-seater sports car”,
There are a couple of details on this prototype which may make it to production. Those headlights seem to have been lifted straight from the Roma, so expect to see similar units on the final car. This mule is also quite a bit lower to the ground than the Purosangue, so maybe Ferrari is going for more of a hot hatch vibe.
New Ferrari Elettrica: when will we know more?
Details about what’s powering the new Ferrari Elettrica will be revealed in October, with a full reveal expected in mid-2026.
Ferrari has patented an electric drive system which could support one, two, three or four motors and be configured for front-, rear- or all-wheel drive, and it’s tricky to know which avenue it’ll go down. We’d put money on a tri-motor all-wheel drive system though.
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