To all John Elkann. Protagonist of the podcast “In Good Company”, the CEO of Exor was interviewed by Nicolai Tangen, his counterpart at Norges Bank, the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund. A long chat in which the two touched different topics, many of which are obviously related to the world of cars, from Stellantis to Fiat via Ferrari. It is no coincidence that the first element of discussion was the Maranello brand.
Elkann and the meaning of Ferrari
“Ferrari is passion, it means being able to welcome the free souls that society possesses. Ferrari is not a car company, but a very special companysomething fantastic that goes beyond just a great company – began Elkann – Ferrari has its roots in the world of racing, and makes sports cars that are truly incredible. Furthermore, the openness it is showing to all the different areas of lifestyle is giving many people opportunities to have Ferrari in their lives, given that not everyone can necessarily afford one of our cars. For an Italian it is Ferrari the pride of what our country can achieve and is also a demonstration of the fact that we are a country of incredible ability, ingenuity and with a great competitive spirit.”
The first electric Ferrari will be…
Speaking of Ferrari, Elkann also touched on the topic of the first 100% electric car that the Maranello brand will launch next year. “It won’t look like anything you would expect. And for us the first electric car is like a blank canvas, which allows us to use the new technologies of the electrical and electronic world and to really be able to create and design a car that is very different from everything else – he began – I tried to drive it, it’s something incredible, in all senses. If you are someone who likes to drive, the thrills and emotions you will experience on board this car are simply exceptional. And it will have a sound that is even more precious to listen to than what can be perceived from the images.”
The theme of batteries
In terms of electrification, Elkann’s speech also extended to the other Stellantis Group brands involved in this process. Fundamental in this sense will be the production of batteries: “Will Europeans be able to compete in battery technology? I think they have to do it, batteries are an important but also one of the most expensive components of an electric car. It will be important to try to make sure that, as we develop these new technologies, both in chemistry and in assembly we can find them competitive solutions in terms of costs. And I believe there will be ample supply. We believe it is important at this stage that a manufacturer has access to the batteries that he controls in addition to those that he purchases”.
Head to head with China
Clearly, the challenge from this point of view is to reduce dependence on China. “Through Leapmotor we are now also entering the mobile market Chinese electric vehicles, which, among other things, is in all respects the electric vehicle market par excellence – added Elkann – More than two-thirds of electric cars will be sold in China in 2023, and even more will be built in the Asian country.” Final line on the cars that the CEO of Exor himself owns and usually uses: “I use an electric Fiat 500 because I like driving it. I also have a larger car, a Jeep Grand Wagoneer, and fortunately I also have the opportunity with my wife to drive nice cars like Ferrari, Alfa Romeo and Maserati“.
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