Ferrari’s first EV is here, and the Luce might be the brand’s most controversial car yet.
Ferrari has officially entered the electric era with the launch of the new Ferrari Luce, the first fully electric car in the company’s history. Unveiled in Rome, the Luce marks one of the biggest changes made by the Maranello automaker since the company was founded in 1939.
For years, Ferrari refused to go completely electric. The company also argued that emotion, sound, and driver involvement were at the core of the Ferrari experience, something enthusiasts believed could not exist without a combustion engine. Even as rivals like Porsche introduced EVs like the Porsche Taycan and brands like Lamborghini began discussing electrification strategies, Ferrari was more focused on hybrids and performance cars.
That changed as emissions regulations tightened around the world and EV technology matured enough to support the kind of performance Ferrari customers expected. Ferrari began to outline its “multi-energy strategy” in 2022, confirming that electrification will be part of the brand’s future without completely replacing combustion engines.
The result is the Ferrari Luce, a car that Ferrari says is not just an “electric Ferrari,” but an entirely new type of Ferrari built around an all-electric architecture. The Ferrari Luce was designed in collaboration with LoveFrom, a design firm founded by former Apple Design Chief Jony Ive and industrial designer Marc Newson. Working alongside Ferrari design chief Flavio Manzoni, the team created both the exterior and futuristic interior styling of Ferrari’s first fully electric car. Luce features a minimalist design language that makes heavy use of glass and aluminum, giving the EV a distinctly different look compared to traditional Ferrari models.
And that design is already divisive
Unlike Ferrari’s often aggressive and sculpted supercars, the Luce takes on a sleek, clean look dominated by a large glass design and floating flying wings. Ferrari describes it as a “shell,” while online critics compared it to a futuristic crossover rather than a regular Ferrari.
The measurements are also different from what many expect from the product. The Luce is Ferrari’s second four-door model and the first five-seater. It rides on massive 23-inch front and 24-inch rear wheels, making it one of the largest Ferraris ever built.
Beneath the controversial styling lies a very ambitious EV platform. The Ferrari Luce uses four independent electric motors – one for each wheel – producing 1,050 horsepower (772kW). Ferrari can run from 0 to 100km/h in 2.5 seconds, from 0 to 200km/h in 6.8 seconds, and its top speed ends at 310km/h.
Power comes from a large 122kWh battery pack built in-house in Maranello using an 800V architecture. Ferrari says the car supports charging speeds of up to 350kW and can recover around 70kWh from a charge in 20 minutes under ideal conditions. Estimated driving range is over 530km.
The Luce also introduces a number of technologies never before seen in a Ferrari road car. These include active aerodynamic grilles, independent four-wheel torque vectoring, the active suspension found on the Ferrari F80 hypercar, and Ferrari’s new “Torque Shift Engagement” system, which tries to recreate the feeling of continuous acceleration through paddle-controlled torque delivery.
Ferrari claims it is able to achieve the lowest volume ever seen in one of its cars on the road thanks to its efficient bodywork, aerodynamic grilles, and an adaptive ride height system that lowers the front by 10mm at high speeds.
So, what about Luce – is it worth the guesswork?
Perhaps surprisingly, Ferrari has also spent a lot of effort trying to address the emotional side of EV driving. Instead of fake engine sounds, Luce uses accelerometers installed inside the drivetrain to capture the actual vibrations and mechanical waves from the electric motors. Ferrari then amplifies and refines those sounds inside and outside the car to create what it calls an “authentic and functional” soundtrack.
Inside, the Luce looks more like a futuristic consumer electronics than a traditional sports car. The cabin features Samsung Display-enhanced OLED displays, a rotating center control panel, extensive use of recycled aluminum and glass, and a 21-speaker 3,000W audio system.
The EV platform also enables a lower center of gravity and improved weight distribution for sharper handling. Ferrari’s new Motor Control Unit manages power and torque delivery in real time, while the first-of-its-kind electric all-wheel drive system uses improved torque vectoring for better responsiveness.
Whether Ferrari enthusiasts fully embrace the Luce remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: Ferrari is no longer treating electrification as a sideshow. The Luce represents the company’s clearest acknowledgment yet that the future of performance cars will include EVs – even if that future looks very different from Ferrari’s past.
