Ferrari has finally revealed the Luce, the Italian marque’s debut EV, representing a new milestone for Maranello.
After being teased and spied for the best part of five years, covers came off the Luce this morning, with the revolutionary design – penned by the original Apple iPhone’s designer Sir Jony Ive, and Australian Marc Newson – representing a significant departure from the norm for Ferrari.
Classed as a five-door liftback, the Ferrari Luce is the brand’s slipperiest road-going production vehicle yet, an important factor in its success as an EV when the majority of its rival brands have beaten it to the punch by a matter of years.
Starting at the front, the Luce features a smoothed-off bumper which is split from the bonnet by a hollow blacked-out panel, housing the headlights but also helping to channel air through the centre and over the windscreen.
The smooth form continues down the sides where the beltline rises gradually as it moves rearward, eventually ending at a shortened boot.
At the rear, its design largely mirrors the front, with the Luce almost adopting an illusion style housing for the rear lights and number plate holder, which sit far further into the bumper than what it protrudes.
Squeezed into the guards are the largest wheels ever fitted to a Ferrari production car, with the 23-inch front and 24-inch rear rims available in a low-drag turbine style or a more simple five-spoke pattern.
We’ve previously been shown a preview of the Luce’s interior, which has now been revealed in full, featuring unmistakable design cues from Ives’ previous Apple projects.
Getting into the Luce is a departure from the norm in itself, as the five-seater (a Ferrari first) has reverse-opening rear doors, allowing the cabin to be completely exposed when both doors are open on one side.
The Luce arguably has one of the most classic-looking cabins of any modern Ferrari, with its three analogue-style instruments, physical controls on the steering wheel and even buttons and switches on its touchscreen.
Its three-spoke steering wheel looks like it could have been taken out of a 1960s grand tourer, barring the addition of its spoke-mounted indicator controls and switches for other driving controls.
A traditional tachometer has been replaced with a power information gauge, sitting next to the speedometer which incorporates a digital display of the car’s speed, as well as remaining driving range.
While the tablet (or iPad) style touchscreen sits out from the dashboard, it has a simple bar protruding from underneath for users to rest their hands as they operate the controls, all of which are accessed by switches or physical buttons.
One of the most interesting design choices in the Luce’s cabin was the overhaul of the traditional gear selector, which in the case of the EV is a small toggle mounted on the centre console, reverting to a minimalist design.
Under the skin, the Luce features Ferrari’s first ever dedicated EV platform, an 800 volt architecture which supports charging of up to 350kW for its 122kWh battery pack, providing an estimated driving range of 530km.
The front pair of motors are lifted from the flagship Ferrari F80 hypercar, while two new rear motors drive the back wheels, combining to produce 772kW and up to 990Nm.
According to Ferrari, the Luce can sprint from 0-100km/h in 2.5 seconds, 0-200km/h in 6.8 seconds, and reach a top speed of 310km/h.
Ferrari has delivered on its promise of giving the Luce its own sound, with “a precision accelerometer at the centre of the axle captures the dynamic texture and vibration of the rotating components while the sound waves are moving”.
This sound is then emitted via an external amplification system, while also being piped into the cabin.
Measuring 5026mm long, 1999mm wide and 1544mm tall, the Luce is 53mm longer, 29mm narrower and sits 45mm lower than the Ferrari Purosangue, while its 2961mm wheelbase is also 57mm shorter.
Despite being an EV and having to carry the weight of a battery (more on that in a moment), the Luce is only 80kg heavier than the Purosangue, tipping the scales at 2260kg, while Ferrari says its centre of gravity is 95mm lower than the V12-powered SUV.
No Australian price has been announced, however with European prices starting from €550,000 (A$892,500) sans options, expect a local arrival to coincide with a circa-$1 million figure.
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