Ferrari produces fewer than 14,000 vehicles per year, and demand among the Italian automaker’s devoted acolytes remains so strong that wait times can easily span up to a patience-testing three years. For many collectors, waiting is simply part of the experience of owning. That may soon change now that Ferrari has unveiled the biggest expansion of its storied Maranello factory in a generation. Designed by Italian architect Mario Cucinella and built over the course of two years, the $214 million facility will increase production capacity to 20,000 cars per year but will primarily produce the marque’s soon-to-be-revealed electric supercar that will be available for purchase in late 2025. Production will take place across two light-flooded floors and will be assisted by self-driving “cobots” that can pick up and move each vehicle between assembly stations.
Not much is known about Ferrari’s first battery-powered model, except for the hefty price tag that’s expected to surpass $500,000, not including premium add-ons—and that another model is already in the works. The increased capacity doesn’t seem to faze CEO Benedetto Vigna, who remains confident that the in-demand vehicles will remain a rarity. “A lot can happen in the decade before those bans [on combustion engines] come in,” Vigna said at the plant’s opening. “We have potential clients saying they won’t become Ferrari customers until we have an EV. We have customers saying they’ll never buy a Ferrari EV. And we have existing customers saying they’ll also buy an EV when we make one. So the best thing is to have the flexibility to quickly and nimbly adapt to a changing landscape. This new plant isn’t really about capacity: it’s about capability.”
The pivot to electric engines may prove riskier, especially for an automaker famed for its roaring combustion engines. While rumors are swirling that the new electric vehicle will echo the signature roar, others fear the lower-decibel shift may compromise the emotional, octane-fueled experience of driving a Ferrari in the first place. Whatever the case may be, Vigna is keeping mum on further details. Italian President Sergio Mattarella attended the opening ceremony, but not even he was granted an exclusive preview of the car.
