Ferrari Luce EV: The first electric Ferrari

The Luce was created in collaboration with LoveFrom, the design agency founded by Apple’s ex-design chief.

Ferrari has just unveiled its first-ever EV. It’s called the Luce, and it was designed in collaboration with LoveForm, the design agency that was founded by Sir Jony Ive. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because Sir Ive was Apple’s chief design officer from 2015 until his departure in 2019.

Ferrari Luce rear — Thanks to four electric motors, the Luce produces over 1,000hp.

Photo: Ferrari

Because of the partnership, the Luce looks unlike any other Ferrari – both inside and outside. We’ll get to the looks in a bit, but the performance it delivers will be familiar to long-time Ferrari owners.

Thanks to four electric motors, the combined power output is just north of 1000hp. 0-100km/h happens in just 2.5 seconds, and it will hit 200km/h in around 6.8 seconds. The Luce has a top speed of over 300km/h – such a high top speed is uncommon in an EV.

To try to capture the excitement of a traditional ICE-powered Ferrari, the company has to resort to some tricks. The Luce has paddle shifters, but they don’t change any gears. Instead, the left paddle adjusts the amount of regenerative braking, while the right lets drivers increase (or decrease) the amount of available torque.

Ferrari Luce rear seats — The Luce seats five and rear legroom looks good.

Photo: Ferrari

And in an attempt to recreate the aural sensations of an ICE-powered Ferrari, the Luce features an interesting solution. The company could have chosen to pipe fake engine noise from one of its V8’s or V12’s, but instead the Luce uses a system that captures noise from the rear axle and amplifies it in the cabin so drivers still hear real, authentic noise.

The Luce’s unusual body shape is a result of form meeting function. Because there’s no need for an engine, the designers have greater freedom in how the Luce can be shaped. The result is a shape that has low drag and is spacious enough to seat five inside. Speaking of which, the instrument cluster and infotainment displays look like iPads – perhaps that’s Ive paying a tribute to the company that he spent so much of his working life at?

Ferrari Luce dashboard — The displays look like iPads.

Photo: Ferrari

Range is said to be around 530km thanks to a large 122kWh battery. The Luce features an 800V architecture and can charge at up to 350kW. Like most EVs, the Luce is heavy. 2,260kg is a lot, but it isn’t that bad given that it’s over five metres long and will seat five quite comfortably.

Ferrari’s decision to forge ahead with an EV is intriguing when you consider that many of its rivals are pulling back on their EV plans. What’s equally fascinating is Ferrari’s approach. In my mind, the Luce is a Ferrari that is so fresh and different that I don’t feel that it dilutes any of the traditional values that the company holds so dear. As is the case with so many things in the world, only time will tell if Ferrari’s gamble will pay off.

Availability and pricing

The Ferrari Luce will go on sale in Europe first, later this year. The starting price is around €550,000 (~S$817,408). There’s no word yet on when it will be available in Singapore, but expect it to cost well over S$2 million when it gets here.

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