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| Ferrari prepares for the era of electric cars |
Ferrari has appointed electronics pioneer Benedetto Vigna as its new CEO as the company prepares to enter the era of electric vehicles.
This luxury sports car manufacturer, known for its high-performance engines, has chosen the Vigna to accompany it in a new era of quiet and electric drivetrains.
Vigna joined Ferrari on September 1 from semiconductor company STMicroelectronics. He currently heads the company's sensor technology division.
The Italian sports car maker announced this in a statement on Wednesday. In December last year, former CEO Louis Camilleri resigned for personal reasons.
Ferrari said the 52-year-old Italian has experience working with some of the world's largest technology companies.
Since he had never worked for a car company or a luxury brand, many were surprised by his responsibilities.
In addition, this appointment reflects the need to change for Ferrari and the difficulty of finding candidates willing to take the job.
With cars starting at €200,000 ($244,000), Ferrari is often seen as more of a luxury company than an auto expert.
As part of sustainable development, car manufacturers around the world are moving away from internal combustion engines. It's heading to electric cars, which usually use lithium-ion batteries.
European automakers are now catching up with Tesla, which has become a household name in the electric car market.
Ferrari and Electricity:
Vigna division's current sales are similar to Ferrari's total and were the company's most profitable operating division last year.
Vigna studied physics at the University of Pisa. He began his career at STMicroelectronics in 1995 and helped the company become one of the leading manufacturers of motion sensors.
Vigna was a member of the team that invented the 3-axis gyroscope in 2010, which changed the screen ratio of a phone when it was rotated.
The company offers hybrid models and promises to deliver the first electric car by 2025. The appointment of Vigna aims to allay market concerns about Ferrari's future and its move toward electric vehicles.
John Elkann, Ferrari President, said: “Vina has a deep understanding of the technology driving such a massive change in our industry, along with its innovation and leadership, and it will be Ferrari and its unique and exciting story of passion and achievement of time. "
The company said: "The unique knowledge gained from 26 years of core work in the semiconductor industry is rapidly changing the automotive industry, accelerating Ferrari's ability to develop technology applications."