Luce: A Misstep, or Ferrari’s Smartest Gamble?

A few days ago, Ferrari released its much-awaited first electric model, the Ferrari Luce. Since the launch, there has been a continuous stream of opinions and pieces discussing its controversial exterior (and interior) design, whether the car truly represents the brand’s values or not, whether it is going to be a success or not, and whether it is going to damage the brand value in the long run or not.

When a company like Ferrari releases a new model, given its history and status, there will always be massive expectations around it by enthusiasts, experts, and actual customers. For this reason, when the design language changes, initial reactions are often mixed. In time, however, the perception shifts and eventually, as people get used to that new aesthetic, without fail, opinions become vastly favourable.

This time the initial reaction has been significantly stronger and (apparently) unanimous, moving personalities of the calibre of former Ferrari president and CEO Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, who expressed dismay towards the new vehicle and its potential detrimental effect on the brand. After this first negative wave, as it often happens, a second one arrived of people supporting the “underdog” and thus going against most negative views of the Luce.

Time will tell who is right, and the truth could very well be in the middle. In the meantime, it is useful and interesting to take a step back and look at the new Ferrari Luce from a higher perspective.

A New Vehicle

Although the Luce’s design, by Apple’s former Chief Design Officer Jony Ive and industrial designer Marc Newson (who previously worked on automotive and transportation projects like the Ford 021C), has been criticised, we all know Ferrari does know how to produce beautiful vehicles even beyond the collaborations with famous Italian coachbuilders such as Pininfarina, Scaglietti or others. Two of the most recent examples are the acclaimed 296 GTB and Daytona SP3. Vehicles that strike a perfect balance between modern lines, tribute to some of the best designs in Ferrari’s history and overall captivating looks. Beyond that, we can also confidently assume that Ferrari, being a company filled with talented people, fully expected the reaction they got at the Luce’s launch. So, what is the rationale behind this vehicle and its looks and what are its true target and purpose?

*Ferrari Daytona SP3 and 296 GTB

Some key statements released by Ferrari’s key people are useful to start looking at the Luce with a better understanding:

“This type of operation allows us to explore alternative territories, encouraging what we call cross-fertilisation. In many cases, it is something out of the ordinary precisely because the designer was given the freedom to conceive a form completely outside the box.” Flavio Manzoni, Ferrari Chief Design Officer

“This is going to be the most versatile car we have in our range. Is not one size fits all, but is a car that is going to be great for any possible occasion” […] “Whenever we unveil a car, there are going to be incredible discussions. We’re going to have some great lovers and we’re going to have a lot of haters. We do expect this” Emanuele Carando, Ferrari Head of Global Product Marketing

“To my petrol heads that I meet, I always tell them, please don’t buy the Luce” Enrico Galliera, Ferrari Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer

These words already reveal the company’s stance toward the new electric model. There is a clear intention to cater to a new audience. An audience that potentially does not care for roaring engines and timeless Ferrari design identity, but for which the historical badge on a new practical, fast and technologically advanced electric vehicle is worth more. They are expected to represent around 80% of the buyers of the Luce. Reinforcing this vision is CEO Benedetto Vigna himself who said Ferrari would not force Ferrari clients to buy the Luce to have access to other models like it happens for more special ones. While not usually explicitly stated, it is well-known that Ferrari only invites and allocates slots for its most limited and sought-after models to its most loyal clients and collectors. It seems the Luce will not be part of this.

Last but not least, as car-related YouTuber Tim Burton (Shmee150) highlighted, one of the first internet personalities to release Luce-related content online this time was Marques Brownlee. A tech reviewer. One with a second channel discussing electric cars, but most famous for being a tech reviewer, not one of the countless car experts active on many platforms today.

It is important to remember that, whether one might agree or not, the modern Ferrari company is not afraid to experiment with new solutions to keep up with the times. The clearest example of this, even more than the first two hybrid models, is the SUV Purosangue. Although right from the name, to the V12 engine, and the strictly 4-seat interior Ferrari clearly wanted to maintain a strong connection with its heritage with this one, there is no doubt that the vehicle layout itself is something that was never attempted before in the history of the brand. And the markets so far have proven Ferrari right. Purosangue has been a success in sales and its resale value has been quite stable so far, something that cannot be taken for granted in today’s market, even for a brand like Ferrari.

Ferrari Models Average Depreciation Percentage in 2026 by Model Year

Average depreciation in the UK for the most innovative Ferrari models SF90 Stradale, 296 GTB, and Purosangue (the first two because of the hybrid powertrain and the third because of the body type), considering an additional £50,000-£75,000 for options, is actually much lower for the SUV. Despite the scepticism of some toward electrification, this could be unexpected for some considering the much more conventional vehicle type of the other two from the perspective of a Ferrari customer expectation.

This success has probably given Ferrari even more confidence in the project that has been in the works for quite a while.

What is the Luce like?

While the Ferrari SUV has been a great success so far, the company was surely aware of the market rejection of the “electric supercar” as a concept itself. Superfast and more classically beautiful full-electric supercars such as Pininfarina Battista, Rimac Nevera, and even a GT like Porsche Taycan have not been a success, for both sales and resale value. Mate Rimac himself, involved in the future of Bugatti stated that there is simply no appetite for full-electric supercars.

*Pininfarina Battista

From there, the vision of a different electric Ferrari.

From a design perspective, except for the quad round taillights the Luce has basically nothing of the Ferrari look one might expect. The interior, while luxurious and highly refined has no visible carbon fibre, but mostly leather, aluminium, and glass. Also, while Ferrari has a great history of luxurious grand tourers, no four-door car was ever produced, before the Purosangue and Luce.

The Luce is also not the fastest Ferrari. While very quick (0-100 km/h or 0-62 mph in 2.5 seconds, and 310 km/h or 193 mph top speed), other Ferrari models match it or exceed its performance as do countless much cheaper fully electric competitors. This is relevant as another controversial fact about the Luce (despite Ferrari certainly not being famous for its affordability) is the price. The Luce is expected to start in the UK between £440,000 and £470,000. Significantly more than any other production model in the lineup.

*Ferrari Luce

On the technological side, Ferrari famously filed around 60 new patents for it. Among the most significant features is its four-motor electric architecture. Each wheel is independently driven, allowing Ferrari to manage torque for vehicle handling, not just a source of acceleration. Through advanced torque vectoring, the car can actively influence traction, rotation and stability in real time.

Another key development is the active suspension, four-wheel steering and electronic torque management to counteract the mass of the battery and preserve the vehicle’s agility despite size (the longest Ferrari ever at over 5 metres) and weight (2,260 kg). These should help make the car feel lighter, sharper and more responsive.

Its battery pack, while very large at 122 kWh, does not allow for an equally impressive range, rated at 530 km (330 miles). It is, however, developed with a long-term “Forever” philosophy. Reports indicate that the Luce’s battery has been conceived with a modular structure that could allow future cell upgrades as battery technology evolves.

The Luce also reinterprets Ferrari’s traditional gearshift paddles for the electric era. With no gearbox, the paddles adjust the car’s torque delivery and regenerative braking, giving the driver a more active role in shaping the car’s response.

Finally, the Luce introduces a new approach to electric sound. Instead of imitating a combustion engine, Ferrari uses the real mechanical vibrations of the electric drivetrain, particularly from the rear axle, and processes them according to the driving mode as previously discussed in New Luxury Automotive: Going Beyond Performance? This solution gives the car an authentic acoustic identity, rather than a synthetic soundtrack.

Questions and potential risks

One of the main reasons for this decisive change of direction could be the drastic evolution of the Chinese market. Once one of the largest, if not the largest market for most European OEMs, particularly premium and luxury ones, today, it is shrinking by the day under the fierce competition of technologically advanced and price-competitive domestic brands. While sales in China were never the largest share of Ferrari’s yearly volume, the sales in the region have been decreasing for the Italian automaker as well.

Ferrari Yearly Sales in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan (2021-2025)

This different approach could help boost the interest in the brand’s future in the Asian market. According to many though, regardless of the reasons behind it, it comes with severe risks.

The first is to be seen as derivative and dilute the brand value. One of the most common phrases heard in these days from the countless pieces and videos about the Luce goes more or less like this: “You could put any other badge on it and you would not know it is a Ferrari”. Something that would definitely never happen with most iconic Ferrari models of the past, even recent ones. Usually, the comment that follows is that Ferrari should have put the car under a separate badge like it happened for the Dino in 1969.

Another reasonable doubt or potential risk regards the EV-enthusiast audience itself. The new vehicles increasingly rely on an excess of screens, technological and connectivity features. Ferrari took a very refined and aesthetically toned-down route with the Luce, using several tactile physical controls and a somewhat restrained use of screens. This could be potentially seen as a limitation for a part of that audience that the Luce seems to be aimed at.

Finally, the more existential question that some pose is: Does Ferrari even need a new audience? One could argue that in 20 years Ferrari almost tripled its sales, which are always tightly controlled to maintain exclusivity. Thus to remain an exclusive, low-volume automaker it does not really need more sales or new audiences.

Ferrari’s electric future

The truth is that electrification is here to stay and it has to be a part of an automaker planning a long-term strategy. Ferrari has made a bold move in releasing a different vehicle such as the Luce while many competitors such as Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Pagani, have either cancelled or delayed their plans for fully electrified vehicles.

Does the Luce run the risk of feeling “disposable” as many other luxury EVs released over the past few years?

Enzo Ferrari famously said: “I don’t sell cars; I sell engines. The cars I throw in for free, since something has to hold the engines in”. Despite the lack of the iconic engine, it is quite safe to assume that Ferrari will sell quite a lot of Luce, as it has done lately with every model. Early reports suggest that the order book is already approaching the end of 2027. But the true measure of success will be in its desirability (or lack thereof) in the after sales and pre-owned markets.

Some have said the Luce took its place as the new Multipla. It is a provocative comparison, but not necessarily an empty one: the Multipla, after all, is still remembered for being an extremely smart and ingenious vehicle even if beauty was never its strongest argument. Ferrari, however, is also about beauty and that makes the Luce a far more delicate experiment. By establishing a presence in the EV market with a very different and more practical and approachable, yet highly refined, vehicle could enable Ferrari to draw in new enthusiasts. If successful, this would not only allow Maranello to gain valuable expertise, but also to preserve its positioning in a changing market and in time, introduce more “classically Ferrari” models, preserving its precious and unique heritage even in the EV space. Time will tell.