Ferrari’s 4-seater coupe goes electric, shocking stock prices

Ferrari, which plans to begin a cautious transition to electric vehicles in 2026 with its first battery-powered four-seat coupe, saw its stock plunge on Thursday after missing long-term profit forecasts.

Ferrari shares fell as much as 16% on the Milan stock market on Thursday after the luxury car maker released detailed 2030 profit and sales forecasts that disappointed investors.

The Prancing Horse luxury brand revealed details of its first electric sports car, due to go on sale next year, during a presentation to investors and media at its Maranello factory, even as it revealed it was scaling back its electrification plans.

The four-seater coupe Elettrica produces more than 1,000 horsepower and has a cruising range of 530 kilometers (329 miles).

For Ferrari, which sold fewer than 14,000 cars last year, to succeed, it “must manage scarcity,” Ferrari CEO Benedetto Viña told investors.

With rising prices, different models and ideally a 20- to 24-month waiting list, “we have to make sure we don’t have too many cars on the road,” he said.

Ferrari slightly raised its 2025 outlook for sales, profit margins and adjusted earnings per share, but investors were disappointed with the long-term outlook.

Ferrari predicted that sales would rise by 5% annually to reach 9 billion euros in 2030, with adjusted operating profit of 2.75 billion euros.

Tom Narayan, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets, said in a note that while Ferrari’s forecast is below analyst expectations, investors “will likely interpret this as EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) growth being down from historical performance.”

Be careful of deceleration

Pricing for the Elettrica has not been disclosed, but analysts say Ferrari will need to position it carefully given the Prosange SUV’s base price of nearly 500,000 euros ($580,500).

Ferrari already sells almost half of its cars in hybrid versions, but Porsche, Lamborghini, Lotus and the very fast Rimac have not made the transition to electric until now, a few years later.

Reflecting the current slowdown in the auto industry’s transition to electric vehicles, Ferrari’s transition will be even more cautious than expected.

By 2030, electric models will only make up 20% of Ferrari’s products, compared to the previously announced 40%, but internal combustion engine models will continue to dominate.

amplified sound

Ferrari management announced the car’s architecture on Wednesday evening. It has a recycled aluminum chassis with a very low driving position and a large motor mounted on each of the four wheels.

As expected, the Elettrica promises high speed, reaching 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 2.5 seconds and a top speed of 310 km/h.

Traditional Ferrari shift paddles on the steering wheel are used on the Eletrica to adjust the output of the motor and suspension control to select a smooth or sporty driving style.

Ferrari product director Gianmaria Fulgenzi said that as a homage to big gasoline engines, the Eletrica offers simulated downshifts, while the traditional engine rumbling is replaced by an amplified sound from the electric motor that informs the driver about the feel of the road.

“It’s like choosing between a sailboat and a powerboat. Both are exciting, but in different ways,” he said.

The brand has taken on the costly development of most innovations, particularly the integrated battery pack, which is one of the only components it doesn’t manufacture in-house, “because keeping that expertise in-house allows us to remain competitive,” he said.

Elettrica has a huge 122 kWh battery and weighs 2.3 tonnes, making it the heaviest Ferrari ever built.

© 2025 AFP