It will be a sad day when the screech of a V-8 or V-12 is no longer associated with a modern day Ferrari. However, as some governments push to ban internal combustion engines, automakers, including exotic brands like Ferrari, are making plans to shift their lineups to electric vehicles.
EVs have proven to be fast, and their disadvantages of weight and slow charging times should only improve over time. Part of the allure of a Ferrari, however, is the sound of its engine, something that quiet-running electric vehicles can’t match.
To get around the problem, automakers have begun adding sound generators to electric vehicles, in some cases to help pedestrians and the visually impaired know the vehicle is approaching. Ferrari is also studying such a solution, according to a patent the automaker has filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
The patent, discovered by Car Buzz last week, describes a means of amplifying the sound of the electric powertrain and allowing the sound to play from the rear of the vehicle. The proposed system would work by measuring the resonant frequencies of key powertrain components like the engine and transmission, and even further down the powertrain like the differential and wheels. The frequencies would then be amplified and played back, the intensity being determined by the RPM of the motor.
Dodge has developed a similar system called Fratzonic for its upcoming electric vehicle, which will debut with the Charger Daytona SRT and Charger Daytona SRT Banshee concepts. Other automakers have even hired music composers to create sounds for the EVs.
Ferrari is aware of the importance of the sound of its vehicles. In an investor presentation last June, CEO Benedetto Vigna said that sound is one of the “essential characteristics that define a Ferrari”. He also said that every Ferrari engine has its own distinctive sound and that he expects electric Ferraris to have their own distinctive sound.
Ferrari’s first EV is scheduled to appear in 2025 and will be dubbed an SUV.
