Ferrari will offer hybrid versions of every model by 2013, says the supercar maker

by Jerry James Stone
from http://greenopolis.com/

The announcement came from Ferrari's chairman Luca di Montezemolo during this week's Geneva Motor Show. He announced the plans while unveiling the green

599 GTB Fiorano Hybrid prototype - both figuretively and literally.

The 599 GTB has a hybrid powertrain called - somewhat amusingly - Hykers. The 'Hy' stands for hybrid and 'kers' refers to the Kinetic Energy Recuperation System Ferrari used during the 2009 Formula One racing season.

"This is a first step of a long project and we want within three years, maximum four, to have a hybrid Ferrari car ready for every single product of our range. This is our goal," said Montezemolo. "In three years we aim to cut emissions by a minimum of 35 percent."



The 599 GTB uses a 100HP+ electric motor at the back of a dual-clutch 7-speed F1 transmission. A set of flat lithium-ion batteries are fitted in the floorpan to backup the 6.0-liter V12 engine with 611 horsepower under the hood. While the electric motor and batteries add bulk to the supercar, the extra 100HP+ electric motor more than compensates for it. And it has 35-percent less CO2 emissions than the stock model.

I would hardly classify a hybrid Ferrari as green (regardless of what color you paint it) but I respect the effort. While Porsche tries to figure out if they're pro-hybrid or not, Ferrari seems to be firmly behind the wheel.

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Source: Carscoop

Ferrari reportedly confirms all-wheel drive hybrid system

by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Ferrari 612 replacement test mule - Click above for high-res image gallery

It's long been suspected that Ferrari was hard at work developing a hybrid powertrain for its line of supercars and grand touring machines, especially since a series of patents were located proving that the Italian automaker had at least sketched plans for such a system. Still, Ferrari had never confirmed such rumors.

But, according to Autocar in the UK, an unnamed source tells the British magazine that the hybrid drivetrain will debut on the next-gen 612 (could the recently-spotted long-wheelbase 612 be a hybrid mule?) with a pair of torque-laden electric motors that will be connected to the front wheels. Ferrari's traditional V12 or possibly a turbocharged V8 engine would send power to the GT car's rear wheels.

As befitting an automobile wearing the coveted Prancing Horse badge, Ferrari is said to be using the system to benefit handling and not to improve fuel efficiency. Whatever the case, we'll surely know more by 2014 or so when Ferrari is actually expected to have the hybrid ready for production.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Ferrari 612 Scaglietti replacement mule

Ferrari To Go Hybrid, World Trembles On Its Axis

By John Voelcker

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2007 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano

Enlarge Photo

Ferrari. Hybrid. Ferrari. Hybrid.

Hmmmmm. Hard to put the two together, isn't it?

Well, hold onto your (prancing) horses, kids, 'cause the men from Maranello are indeed readying a hybrid system for future Ferraris, which will most likely launch in 2015 or thereabouts.

In March, Ferrari president Luca Cordero di Montezemolo told reporters at the Geneva Motor Show that the company was testing prototypes of a hybrid powertrain in a 2009 Ferrari 599 adapted to the new drive system.

Now, drawings from a patent application have leaked out and more details are known. The Ferrari papers show several variants of four-wheel-drive and hybrid technology, with one pair of wheels (presumably the rear) driven by the engine through a transmission, and the other pair (the front) powered by either an electric motor or a pair of in-wheel motors. Both front- and mid-engine layouts are included.

While the patent application claims the system is meant to improve handling, Ferrari has said in the past it intends to reduce its carbon emissions a full 40 percent by 2012. That goal, however, seems aggressive for just two model years from now.

But the company has recent experience in recovering wasted energy via regenerative braking, from none other than its Formula One team. As of this season, the team is using a Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) to comply with new rules on the world's most prestigious racing circuit.

Regardless of launch date and final drive system, we here at GreenCarReports.com are very excited at the prospect of finally having an excuse to road-test a Ferrari.

Green. Ferrari. Green. Ferrari. Hmmmmmmm. That one works!

2007 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano

Enlarge Photo

[SOURCES: Left Lane News, Autocar ]