Ferrari CEO says all-electric model preserves the 'emotion' of the famed supercars

Ferrari's all-electric model won't be launched for over a year, but early tests indicate it has all the driving traits and emotion of a true Ferrari, according to Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna.

"The final judge will be the client," Vigna told CNBC during the opening of the company's new E-Building in Maranello, Italy. "More people have started to drive our electric Ferrari, and they have a good feeling. The driving traits are there."

Vigna said the defining characteristic of a Ferrari is the emotional experience. Having driven the all-electric Ferrari himself, he said, "I had this kind of emotion."

Ferrari's plan to build an electric model marks a bold and expensive bet for a luxury automaker famed for its roaring, powerful combustion engines. Little is known about the electric model, which is not scheduled for launch until the fourth quarter of 2025. Yet the notion of an electric Prancing Horse has already set off a vigorous debate in the auto community and among wealthy car collectors.

Much of the debate is focused on engine sound. Ferrari powertrains are prized for their symphony of roars, rumbles, pops and high-pitched whines. Electric motors are largely silent.

Vigna said Ferrari's power acoustics will always be "authentic," meaning the company won't try to recreate the sound of a combustion engine through fake audio programs. He hinted, however, that it could amplify or better showcase the natural sound of an electric motor.

"The electric engine is not silent," he said. "There is a way to let it play in a unique way."

Vigna added that engine sound is only one part of the emotional experience of driving the supercar.

"You interact with eyes, with ears, with your full body," he said. "When you're talking about the Ferrari