What comes to mind when you hear or see the word Ferrari? I know for sure a lot goes through my head. I think of style, speed, passion, appeal, and a piece of engineering that surpasses some of these luxury cars. Ferrari was built for speed and sports and has been associated with Formula 1 and V12 engines. Ferrari is known to “roar”, but what if I told you that it is switching things up and is considering switching that roar into a vapour? Not just any vapour, but one that emits clean water. Why though? Well, Ferrari has realised that the world is changing and to keep up, it needs to evolve and change as well to keep its relevance.
Ferrari’s hydrogen move: Engine transformation without carbon guilt
Ferrari is one of those cars in the automotive industry that has kept its promise and consistency to deliver an electrifying feeling to its drivers. Other car brands have kept the idea of working with batteries only (which is not a bad thing), but Ferrari has realised that having an alternative engine will work best for it. It gets better. The Italian automaker wants to shake up the industry, not with an EV, but with something better and cleaner.
The cleaner and better resource is hydrogen. That is the word on the streets. No one saw this one coming because over the years, Ferrari has manufactured roaring cars electrified by batteries, but the car brand has decided to get a little softer and more sustainable. If it has done its research well, we know we can enjoy a powerful drive without worrying about the environment being fed carbon emissions.
Ferrari has patented an engine that runs on hydrogen
An engine that runs and does not emit emissions – not an electric vehicle, but a hydrogen vehicle. That is what lies in Ferrari’s recent patent statement application: an internal combustion engine built to run on hydrogen rather than petrol. Just like fuel, the hydrogen will burn, and what happens when hydrogen burns? It emits water, and water is the cleanest resource that can ever be used in engines.
This is the first time Ferrari has expressed interest in hydrogen. Perhaps it is because the future has stricter regulations regarding emissions, or it wants to switch things up and provide an alternative. The patent was filed in 2023 and published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on February 29, 2024, elaborating that hydrogen will reduce greenhouse emissions drastically.
It is an upside-down, hydrogen, twin-supercharged inline-six
According to the documents, the Corvette E-Ray and a hybrid sports car have a similar fundamental configuration: electric motor up front, engine behind. However, the parallels stop there. There is not much information provided on the front axle’s real electric traction system. The focal point is the transaxle and engine positioned in the back.
Ferrari is interested in trying out hydrogen because of the following:
- Hydrogen fuel fill-up takes minutes, literally.
- Drivers can experience long driving hours without worrying about refilling time and time again.
- Unlike EVs, the combustion sound and feel are preserved
The patent has concealed everything we know about Ferrari’s upcoming hydrogen car. It is not necessarily a standalone powertrain but somehow integrates with a hybrid system. Therefore, there is a possibility that Ferrari may develop a hydrogen-hybrid supercar by combining electric motors with a hydrogen combustion engine. The thought of combining clean energy and experience is what makes Ferrari stand out at this moment. Now we know that for both public and private use, there are no emissions released and a guarantee of more sustainable hydrogen engines in the making.