2010 Ferrari 458 Italia

2010 Ferrari 458 Italia

Ferrari has made little secret of its plans to introduce a hybrid model, even going so far as to unveil a concept version of a new gasoline-electric hybrid system dubbed HY-KERS at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show.

And only last month the automaker’s CEO, Amedeo Felisa, revealed that hybrid technology will enable the V-12 engine to remain viable in a future of stricter emissions regulations and more eco-conscious consumers.

Now, new patent applications have surfaced that Car and Driver reports are for Ferrari’s new hybrid system.

They show that instead of using a flywheel-based Kinetic Energy Recover System (KERS), as used in Formula 1 racing, Ferrari’s new hybrid system will utilize a more conventional electric motor and battery setup, although the patent states that the battery could be replaced by a supercapacitor as an alternative form of energy storage.

The design calls for two electric motors, one sending power to the wheels and one used to generate electrical energy for ancillary features like the air conditioning and power steering systems. There are reportedly numerous patent filings, including designs where electric motors are mounted in between the cylinder banks of the V-12 engine or mounted directly to the gearbox, the latter the choice of setup for 2010’s HY-KERS concept car.

One other crucial detail revealed in the patents is that this particular design is for a car with its engine up front, suggesting that it may appear on either the FF or F12 Berlinetta--if it ever is produced. This means that reports of Ferrari’s Enzo successor featuring an F1-style KERS may still prove true.