A rather unlikely collaboration appears to be taking shape on the horizon between Ferrari and Leapmotor: something that until now no one would have ever imagined. The prestigious Maranello automaker might establish a partnership with the Chinese company from the Stellantis group, according to reports from authoritative sources such as Reuters.
Will Ferrari and Leapmotor collaborate to develop a new electric car?
According to emerging information, Ferrari, which is preparing to unveil the first of six vehicles planned for 2025, would be ready to collaborate with Leapmotor on an electric car platform. Next October, the Maranello automaker will reveal its first battery-powered car to the world, whose rather simple name was officially announced by John Elkann in recent days. The name will simply be “Elettrica.”
It will most likely be just the first of a long list of electric cars, and the Prancing Horse would therefore be considering, according to rumors, leveraging Leapmotor’s know-how in the electric car field.
Is all this probable? According to Reuters, negotiations would be underway, which would also explain Benedetto Vigna’s recent visit, Ferrari’s CEO, to Leapmotor’s facilities in China. However, there are several aspects that don’t add up, starting with the fact that the Maranello automaker has never outsourced important components such as a car platform.
Secondly, Ferrari is closely tied to the image of the Italian flag, of Made in Italy, consequently a Ferrari on a Chinese platform would seem to clash with the history of the Prancing Horse. Third point, Leapmotor does not operate in Ferrari’s segment, that is, the sporty ultra-luxury segment, having many SUVs, sedans, and city cars such as the T03 in its lineup, so it’s not clear what the added value would be.
Moreover, isn’t Ferrari capable of creating its own platform for electric cars? We certainly don’t think so, especially because it’s already doing so with the vehicle that will be unveiled on October 9th. The only synergy that could materialize would concern batteries, obviously a fundamental component for an electric car, but the first Ferrari will be equipped with SK On modules, a Korean company that already supplies batteries for Ferrari’s hybrid cars.
Will there really be a collaboration between the two companies? At the moment, neither has commented on the rumors, which already represents a clue since denials often pour in during such situations: we therefore just have to wait for further updates on what would undoubtedly be an unusual collaboration to say the least, which in these hours is causing enthusiasts to turn up their noses.
