Ferrari Electric Sports Car Patent Offers Glimpse Of EV Future

Patents recently issued in the United States demonstrates Ferrari’s idea for a chassis design capable of supporting a hybrid or electric sports car. The Italian automaker’s filing reveals a design for using multiple battery packs and sandwiching them between the frame and the cover.

The focus of this patent is to maintain the rigidity of the chassis while also having room to mount the battery. The idea is to make a frame to support the vehicle and attach it to the base that holds the battery. The pieces will lock together to form an integrated structure that forms the floor of the vehicle.

The battery layout is easiest to understand when looking at the patent image below. In the diagram, BT1 refers to the first packet, and BT2 is the second.

The first battery pack is under the passenger compartment. Spacious but has a very short height to make room for its occupants.

Behind the passenger, the second battery has much more space. Several patent images show a framework for protecting this area. Due to the shape of this area, the company says it can support cylindrical, prismatic, or pocket cells.

The patent filing stipulates that this setup can work for either a hybrid vehicle or a full EV. A combustion engine can still fit in the front of the vehicle or behind the rear battery.

Ferrari previously obtained patents for different platforms for EV or hybrid. In this case, there are four electric motors – one to drive each wheel. They can operate independently to give the software substantial control over vehicle traction.

Ferrari chairman John Elkann recently told shareholders that the Italian brand’s first EV will debut in 2025. This is surprising as the company previously said an electric model wouldn’t happen until after 2025.