Ferrari has announced that it will run a Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) in its Formula 1 cars next season. The team had tested a KERS system in 2009 but scrapped the plans for 2010 when all the competing manufacturers collectively agreed to avoid the system in a bid to cut costs.

Ferrari has been pushing for a return to using KERS, asking for rule changes to make the systems more effective. The reason behind the resumed interest is that Ferrari is pushing to bring to market a street car using the KERS system in the next few years and, as always, Ferrari sees the race track as the best place to test its upcoming road car technology. At the Geneva Auto Show earlier this year, Ferrari unveiled the HY-KERS concept, a bright green Ferrari 599 which uses the hybrid system to deliver extra bursts of power, while also improving fuel economy iduring low speed driving.

As for the F1 system, Ferari had been pushing for regulations that would permit a more powerful electric boost but that has been scrapped in favor of a higher minimum weight for all vehicles, allowing Ferrari to make use of that extra weight allowance for the KERS system.

Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali has said the current plan is to run the KERS system in every race next season. Mercedes is expected to announce if it will use a similar setup in the coming weeks.

[Source: ESPN]

With Ferrari having announced at the Geneva Auto Show last week that it would offer hybrid versions of all of its future models, is it really any surprise to learn that Maserati is also looking to ad hybrid options to its lineup? While the siblings aren’t technically in the same part of the umbrella under the greater Fiat company, a lot of product still gets shared around: from engines to platforms to transmission technology. According to Inside Line, Maserati will also look to do what every automaker from Acura to Volkswagen is also doing – reduce the weight of its vehicles moving forward.

Our first look at this technology came last week at the Geneva Auto Show when Ferrari unveiled its matte-green 599 hybrid concept (Vettura Laboratorio HY Kers), which uses a Kinetic Energy Recovery System to give the model an extra boost of electric power – making it an even higher performer. The lithium-ion battery pack for the hybrid system is located low in the car, improving its center of gravity, while not intruding on the passenger compartment. It is hooked up to a dual-clutch 7-speed transmission and adds at least 100 extra hp (as Ferrari insisted every added pound was offset by at least one horsepower). The electric energy generated under braking also powers the car’s batter and its accessories, and allows the car to run on pure electric power at times.

We’re interested to see what a hybrid Maserati would have in store and have to think a more efficient second-generation Quattroporte would be a great place to start.

[Source: InsideLine]

With the matte-green 599 hybrid concept on display at the Ferrari booth at the Geneva Auto Show, the Italian exotic automaker didn’t have a lot to say about it, but the company’s CEO did make an important remark about the future of Ferrari hybrids. Luca di Montezemolo commented that the automaker is looking to reduce emissions by up to 35 percent in the next three years and one way it intends to do that is to offer hybrid versions of all of its models in the next three or four years.

The 599 hybrid concept (Vettura Laboratorio HY Kers) is the start of what di Montezemolo called a long project, which is sure to include several updates before it becomes a full production model. The matte-green Ferrari uses a Kinetic Energy Recovery System to give the model an extra boost of electric power – making it an even higher performer. The lithium-ion battery pack for the hybrid system is located low in the car, improving its center of gravity, while not intruding on the passenger compartment. It is hooked up to a dual-clutch 7-speed transmission and adds at least 100 extra hp (as Ferrari insisted every added pound was offset by at least one horsepower).

The electric energy generated under braking also powers the car’s batter and its accessories, and allows the car to run on pure electric power at times (although Ferrari doesn’t say how far or for how long).

See more on the 599 Hybrid Concept after the jump:

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