Ferrari reveals its electric power, and the real sound of the electric car finally

Palermo says the sound can be reduced while driving, then amplified during more dynamic driving. It is also claimed that it will be possible to sense when the rear traction wheel breaks, as the rise in revs of this engine will be detected by the accelerometer. He also says how latency – the time between the change in engine revs and the sound reaching the driver’s ear – is “below the threshold of human perception…instantaneous.”

The sound will also adjust depending on how the driver handles the steering wheel paddles for regenerative braking and the Torque Shift Engagement system. However, for now, Ferrari is declining to comment on exactly how the engine sound will be broadcast into the cabin – whether through the car’s sound system, or some other means – and how the external sound will be created. Underlining Ferrari’s commitment to using the authentic sound of the drivetrain, Palermo adds: “It is an instrument, not a ringtone.”

Individually controlled wheels

Remarkably, for a company whose cars are synonymous with theatricality, Ferrari says that during normal driving “silence is preferred to achieve maximum acoustic comfort.” To that end, it’s gone out of its way to highlight noise, vibration and harshness (known in the industry as NVH), as there’s no longer a loud engine to drown it all out.

The Elettrica suspension system is an evolution of the active system used by Ferrari’s Purosangue SUV and F80 supercar, which uses 48-volt motors to apply torque to each shock absorber, effectively eliminating pitch and roll.

As with other electric cars, the heavy battery pack in the floor helps lower the center of gravity; In this case, by 80 mm compared to the non-EV equivalent. Although it can’t defy physics, Ferrari claims that a trick of the suspension and four-wheel drive setup makes the Elettrica handle as if it were nearly 1,000 pounds lighter.

The result is a car where each wheel has its own control, braking, suspension and steering force – with the rear wheels able to steer independently of each other, by up to 2.15 degrees in any direction. Each of the four motors can also operate its own regenerative braking, with up to 0.68G of deceleration possible with the most aggressive regenerative level. This represents more than half the braking force exerted during an emergency stop in a regular car.