Ferrari will officially reveal the Luce, its first ever electric vehicle, in late May, and will do so against a backdrop of a changing industry.
In the past half-decade while the Luce has been under development, EV sales went through a large period of growth but have since cooled, especially in the luxury space.
Porsche, Bentley and Aston Martin are just a handful of brands which have had to massively change their future EV product plans due to lower-than-expected demand, with customers who have the means to spend big money on cars seemingly not wanting to do so on silent products.
This presents a fork in the road for Ferrari, which last week revealed the interior of the Luce – designed in part by former Apple design chief Jony Ive – ahead of the full vehicle’s unveiling in the coming months.
While it would be easy to suggest the Luce will effectively serve as the vehicle customers need to buy first before getting access to more interesting Ferrari models, CEO Benedetto Vigna says it won’t “force” customers to buy the EV if they don’t want it.
“We will never force our client that, to have, let’s say, 849 Testarossa or whatever it’s gonna be called, the next car, they have to buy an electric car,” Vigna said in Ferrari’s quarterly earnings call.
“You do not have to force clients to buy something that they don’t like. This would be the biggest mistake, and I think we have to learn from what we do wrong and what the market is doing wrong, okay?”
Previous reports from almost two years ago claimed the Ferrari Luce would start from about US$500,000 (A$705,600), making it one of the dearer series production vehicles in the brand’s stable – however this price wasn’t confirmed and may have since changed.
Previously, Ferrari announced the Luca will be powered by four electric motors – one for each wheel – with the front pair of motors lifted from the flagship Ferrari F80 hypercar, while two new rear motors drive the back wheels.
Combined, the Luce will be able to produce 735kW in its boost mode, leading to a 0-100km/h sprint time of 2.5 seconds.
There will be three drive modes (Range, Tour, Performance) while it’ll also feature a ‘Torque Shift Engagement’ system, with five levels of power and torque available “to deliver progressively stronger acceleration over a very broad range of speeds” when using the right steering wheel paddle, while the left helps replicate engine braking.
Despite being an EV, 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.
The 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.
“Ultimately, the design of the Ferrari Luce’s interior is a synthesis of meticulous craftsmanship, respect for tradition, and thoughtful innovation,” the brand said.
“It offers a new choice for Ferrari enthusiasts – one that honours the past while embracing the future, and exemplifies the brand’s enduring commitment to quality, performance, and cultural significance.”
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