The class was originally designed by ABB Trazione, later ADTranz (was part of the Bombardier group, which was acquired by Alstom in 2021), and produced in the Italian plant of Vado Ligure.

The E.464 derives from a project launched by the Italian Ferrovie dello Stato in the 1980s for a "modular" class of locomotives which would be easily adapted to commuter, inter-regional and cargo services.

In 1994 FS requested ABB to design a new class which, to save money, was to be based on already built prototypes and using parts from the new E.412 from the same producer.

[2] After years of regional use, the 29th of August 2019 the first two units from a group of 70 were used to haul a long-distance Intercity train between Messina and Siracusa, in Sicily.

The E.464 were the first Italian locomotives provided with an automatic Scharfenberg coupling system, capable of forming trains rapidly.

The locomotive uses simplified on-board electronics, with two GTO thyristor choppers which provide a variable voltage to the two inverters, that are used to feed the 4 three-phase asynchronous motors.

The locomotive is provided with a secondary driving cabin with reduced instrumentation in the rear area, for short range manoeuvres in stations (maximum speed allowed: 30 km/h [19 mph]).