In 2013, when Ferrari unveils Ferrari LaFerrari at the Geneva Motor Show, the Italian hypercar represents all that the brand knows how to do at its most extreme. A 6.3-liter naturally-aspirated V12, a Hy-KERS hybrid system directly inspired by F1, 963 hp, only 499 units produced... and already the promise of a future collector's item.
Twelve years on, another figure is beginning to be talked about: the number of failed batteries. Behind the automotive myth lies a far less glamorous reality. The LaFerrari's hybrid batteries are aging. And the cost of replacing them is becoming almost unreal, even in the world of hypercars.
From €180,000 to €320,000: the bill soars
About a year ago, we already mentioned the case of a Croatian Ferrari breaks down after just 1,440 km. Diagnosis: hybrid system battery out of order. The solution proposed by Ferrari was radical: complete replacement of the battery pack at a cost of around €180,000.
The owner was finally spared this bill thanks to EV Clinic, a Croatian workshop specializing in the repair of electric and hybrid vehicle batteries. After dismantling and analyzing the 60 kg pack containing 120 cells, the technicians discovered that the battery was not completely dead. Some of the cells were defective, with a faulty assembly. A targeted repair saved the battery without replacing the whole unit.
A few days ago, another story caught our attention. That of a Japanese collector, Mr. Mera, owner of an impressive collection including Ferraris F50, Enzo and LaFerrari. He recently revealed replaced the batteries in its LaFerrari for 32 million yen, or around $200,000. But today, the subject has taken on a whole new dimension.
10 LaFerraris already repaired at EV Clinic
A few hours ago, EV Clinic published a new message that is starting to worry some LaFerrari owners:
“The Ferrari LaFerrari's €320,000 KERS battery pack has stopped working after 10 years and will be repaired by EV Clinic for a UK customer. Only 499 examples were manufactured, 10 of which have already been entrusted to EV Clinic and successfully repaired at EVC's headquarters in Croatia.”
In other words, of the 499 LaFerraris produced, 10 have already passed through the EV Clinic workshops for hybrid system battery repairs. And if we add the Japanese example whose batteries have recently been replaced, that's already 11 cars concerned.
The figure may seem low at first glance. However, it is becoming significant for such a rare model with such low average mileage. Many LaFerraris live in private collections, drive very little and sometimes spend long periods at a standstill. And there's a further detail that's of particular interest: today's advertised price for a complete replacement has risen to €320,000. In the space of a few years, the cost of the battery pack seems to have literally exploded.
An extremely sophisticated battery... but an aging one
The LaFerrari's battery is anything but a conventional component. Ferrari had developed an extremely compact, high-performance system for its hypercar, using specific Samsung SDI lithium-ion cells. The cells used would be Samsung cells capable of handling “6C” type discharges. In practice, this means that a 1 kWh pack can deliver up to 6 kW of power. An essential feature for a hybrid hypercar, where power demands are extremely violent and almost instantaneous.
On paper, the technology was impressive for its time. But twelve years on, certain limitations are becoming apparent. Because even if the car isn't driven much, a lithium-ion battery naturally ages over time. Thermal cycles, heavy charging and discharging, and long periods of immobilization can accelerate its degradation.
One possible problem is prolonged storage. A LaFerrari left for several months without optimal charge management can suffer from over-discharging of certain cells. With this type of highly sophisticated battery, a few unbalanced cells can be enough to bring the vehicle to a complete standstill.
But even on cars used regularly, the situation is not necessarily surprising. We're talking here about a battery that's more than ten years old, and is subject to extremely high currents every time it accelerates, regenerative braking or the Hy-KERS system is activated.
The new challenge of hybrid hypercars
For a long time, collectors focused mainly on the engines, gearboxes or maintenance costs of supercars. With hybrid hypercars, a new variable now comes into play: aging high-performance batteries. And the LaFerrari is probably just the beginning.
This is because all modern hybrid hypercars are based on similar technologies: compact, highly-stressed batteries, often produced in very small batches, and sometimes with specific components that are difficult to replace more than ten years after their launch.
For owners, this opens up a new reality. Owning a hybrid hypercar means more than just maintaining an exceptional engine. It also means anticipating a battery replacement or repair that could cost several tens or hundreds of thousands of euros.
Ferrari LaFerrari KERS Hybrid BatteryPack failed after 10 years, worth 320,000€, will be repaired in EV Clinic for UK customer. Just 499 samples were made, 10 of those already visited EV Clinic and successfully repaired in EVC HQ Croatia. pic.twitter.com/VoA7SiXGw4
- EV Clinic (@evclinic) May 6, 2026
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