Ferrari presented its first fully electric car to journalists in Rome this week, a four-door, five-seat car called the “Luce,” which was developed with the help of former Apple design chief Jony Ive and his collective LoveFrom.
The first model of the Luce, which means “light” in Italian, is set to be ready for delivery from the fourth quarter of 2026, with a price in the region of €550,000 (about $640,000).
The launch comes at a time of testing for car manufacturers and their electric mobility plans. Many manufacturers, including Ferrari, are lowering their targets for electrification – given factors such as unfavorable conditions in the key US market and rapidly increasing competition from domestic manufacturers in China.
That said, the war in Iran and subsequent pressure on fuel prices reminds us of some of the benefits of EVs.
How did observers and the market react?
The initial reaction on the markets was skepticism.
When trading resumed in Italy on Tuesday morning after the Pentecost or Whitsun bank holiday, Ferrari’s share price almost immediately lost about 6% of its value, a loss in the region of €3.7 billion in market capitalisation.
After the initial decline the stock more or less stabilized.
However, given at least some of the social media hot takes, many considered the car’s exterior styling and aesthetics to be more of an exception than its all-electric drivetrain or strategic statement that it may or may not represent for Ferrari.
What did Ferrari say about the new Luce?
Ferrari F1 drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, who returned from Sunday’s race in Montreal, Canada, unveiled the car at an event in Rome.
This launch comes as Porsche, Honda and to some extent Ferrari aim to move towards electric vehicles.
But as CEO Benedetto Vigna said, with the long R&D time in the industry, “this is the result of five years of work.”
Still known for attractive high-performance two-seaters with spectacular multi-cylinder petrol engines, Ferrari hopes its first five-seater with a generous boot (or trunk) will give it a chance to compete in markets like China, where EV use is already widespread and large combustion engine cars face heavy taxes.
Enrico Galliera, Ferrari’s chief marketing and commercial officer, said, “There are many people in our customer base… who are still looking for something completely different, something they can use at different moments of life.”
Vigna also said he expects half of Luce’s orders to come from new customers.
What are some performance figures of Luce?
Despite the car being heavy at 2.2 tonnes, it still promises performance like a galloping horse, at least in a straight line and possibly even in corners.
Four electric motors, one for each wheel, provide more than 1,000 horsepower and also allow variable power delivery to improve handling and cornering.
Ferrari says the Luce will top out at 310 kilometers (192.6 miles) per hour. Like all EVs, straight-line acceleration is brisk, with the car able to reach 100 km/h in 2.5 seconds.
According to Ferrari, the huge 122 kWh battery, explaining a large part of the car’s weight, allows a theoretical range of more than 500 kilometres. The carmaker says it can get a 10% to 80% charge in between 20 and 25 minutes at a fast charging station.
Ferrari is trying to keep a traditional soundtrack, however, enhancing the natural vibration sounds from its EV powertrain to provide more acoustics in the cockpit.
Glass-LED designs seek to allow as much light, or illumination, as possible. But Ferrari has taken a more traditional carmaker approach in the battle with Tesla and several Chinese EV makers, favoring multiple physical controls and dials for the cockpit over the all-digital touchscreen-driven methods of some of the more modern competition.
Edited by: Dmytro Lyubenko
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