Italian pub, Quattroroute reports Ferrari will show its first road-going hybrid next March at the Geneva Motor Show. Based on the 599 GTB, the Ferrari hybrid is expected to use a derivative of the kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) used on the prancing horse’s Formula One cars during part of the 2009 season.
The KERS setup and the concept will reportedly use a lithium ion battery pack, and based on the diagram (right) the road car will have the battery and the power electonics mounted on either side of the rear transaxle, with an electric motor incorporated into the transaxle itself. If the road car is similar to the race car, this will essentially be a mild hybrid system providing automatic start-stop, regenerative braking and electric boost. Judging by the battery size, Ferrari won’t offer any pure electric propulsion. The system is expected to boost urban driving mileage by over 30 percent from the current 8.7 mpg (US) to a slightly less miserable 13.8 mpg.