| A green hybrid from an Italian icon? It seems a | | | | particularly an issue since the requirements are |
| bit ludicrous, but the question of whether Ferrari is | | | | expected to become even more stringent in the |
| going to start building hybrids is not a joke. Ferrari | | | | future. The answer by the company seems to be |
| may have no choice. | | | | rooted in its F1 team. |
| The joke about high end sports cars is that if you | | | | The Scuderia, the Ferrari Formula One team, is |
| have to ask how many miles to the gallon they | | | | well versed in making cars as light as possible |
| get, you can't afford them. Put more directly, the | | | | while producing massive power and performance. |
| top end performers are designed from | | | | The technology used there is being transferred to |
| performance. Fuel efficiency and emissions are | | | | future Ferrari designs. The company seems bent |
| not just downplayed, they are utterly irrelevant. | | | | on meeting the new standards by making the |
| At least they were. | | | | cars much lighter, more aerodynamic and even |
| Ferrari is the classic high end sports car builder. It | | | | returning to a turbocharged engine. This will |
| builds beautiful cars that simply blaze along the | | | | account for huge improvements in fuel efficiency, |
| road. Of course, the cost of that is horrifically bad | | | | particularly the light cars, but a hybrid electric |
| mileage and terrible emissions. Neither Ferrari nor | | | | engine is going to be an inevitable result. |
| the people buying the car really cared. Now they | | | | Perhaps most interesting is the potential use of |
| have no choice thanks to the new emission rules | | | | the KERS system in street cars. Ferrari uses the |
| coming into place in the European Union. | | | | system in F1 to some effect. KERS stands for |
| The EU is taking pollution seriously as part of its | | | | Kinetic Energy Recovery System. It essentially |
| efforts to curb global warming. The practical | | | | produces electricity from the braking system and |
| effect on cars is the emissions being produced by | | | | stores it. The driver can then push a button to |
| them are being cut by law. The EU is demanding a | | | | add the power to the drive system when needed. |
| cut to rough 130 grams of carbon dioxide per | | | | It produces an additional 80 odd horsepower in |
| kilometer driven. Most Ferrari models produce | | | | the F1 cars, which is a nice jolt when needed. |
| about four times that amount, so you can see | | | | Ferrari is nothing if not very inventive. The future |
| the problem. | | | | is clearly a challenging place for low mileage sports |
| The question for Ferrari is how it can continue to | | | | cars. Given the prowess of Ferrari in Formula |
| produce high performance cars and yet still | | | | One, expect it to come out with some amazing |
| comply with the EU emission requirements. This is | | | | green vehicles in the future. Prius beware! |