Ferrari held the groundbreaking ceremony for its e-Building, which will produce internal combustion engines, hybrids, and Ferrari’s first electric vehicle. The ceremony was attended by Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Chairman John Elkann, Vice Chairman Piero Ferrari, CEO Benedetto Vigna, and representatives from Ferrari’s staff.
John Elkann, Chairman of Ferrari, stated, “It is an honor to host President Mattarella at the inauguration of the e-Building, which combines employee-centric values with respect for the environment. Investing in the Maranello area is essential for preparing for Ferrari’s future with confidence and promises our commitment to Italy’s excellence and our homeland.”
Ferrari is enhancing production flexibility through the e-Building, based on a strategy that prioritizes quality over quantity in profits. This facility will embrace and utilize a variety of technologies as it will produce and develop internal combustion engines, hybrid engines, and new electric vehicles, adhering to the ‘technology neutrality principle.’ This ensures that the unique driving experience of Ferrari is delivered regardless of engine type.
By consolidating production of its entire product line into a single building, Ferrari has been able to reorganize and relocate all production activities more effectively than at its existing facilities in Maranello. This enhances its ability to respond quickly to production requirements.
The e-Building, equipped with cutting-edge technology, will also produce strategic electric components closely linked to differentiating Ferrari’s technology and performance, such as high-voltage batteries, electric motors, and axles.
This building, designed to achieve the highest energy performance levels, is powered by over 3,000 solar panels installed on its roof, generating 1.3 MW of electricity. The trigeneration power plant will ensure that once operational by the end of the year, this building will be powered solely by renewable energy from guaranteed internal and external sources.
Various state-of-the-art solutions have been adopted to reuse energy and rainwater during production. For instance, over 60% of the energy used in battery and motor testing will be recovered to power new processes in the future.
Located to the north of the Ferrari campus, this factory is currently under expansion. Ferrari has replaced aging and energy-dispersed industrial structures without additional land consumption, securing and redeveloping the factory site.
The education and welfare of employees were top priorities in the building’s design. The e-Building includes dedicated spaces for training.
Training courses for employees assigned to the new line began two years ago, aimed at imparting the necessary skills and processes related to new systems and products while enhancing knowledge related to electric motors. In order to maintain continuity with its legacy of mechanical and electronic skills and create synergy with these technologies, additional capabilities like chemistry and battery assembly production processes have been developed.
The manufacturing process includes collaborative robots (Cobots) that adjust movements according to the needs of operators, and ‘digital twin’ technology that creates digital replicas of products and processes. The importance of employees in the production facility continues to grow in ensuring excellence and attention to detail that differentiates Ferrari’s product line. Therefore, solutions have been implemented to empower employees to control and maximize these technologies.
Numerous solutions have also been devised to enhance employee welfare in the work environment. Representative examples include ergonomic workstations (primarily high-performance PCs for special operations), relaxation areas, an auditory/visual comfort environment, and a suitable combination of natural and artificial light.
The e-Building is a structure that reaffirms Ferrari’s pivotal role in the regional industrial environment. Ferrari’s role is increasingly strengthened through ongoing investments that align with the needs of the local community.
In order to fully integrate the building into the existing urban environment, Ferrari redeveloped over 100,000 square meters of the city and redesigned the road infrastructure. New roads leading to the factory site were created, and a 1.5 km bicycle path connected to the town network was also constructed.
In particular, roads have been designed to focus traffic around the logistics hub of the e-Building, minimizing disruption to pedestrian pathways.
The exterior façade of the e-Building and its major interior spaces were designed in collaboration with MCA-Mario Cucinella Architects, a leader in sustainable solution development and urban regeneration.
The new rectangular building, rising 25 meters high, harmonizes with the surrounding landscape and buildings. Its façade features custom high-efficiency exterior materials. The use of transparent and translucent glasses throughout diffuses natural light into the building and creates the appearance of glowing lanterns at night.
The components of the façade were designed according to the Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) logic to facilitate on-site assembly and maintenance tasks. This enhances cost efficiency and reduces environmental impacts related to the materials and processes used.
Jin Sang-lee daedusj@autodiaRY.KR