Ferrari’s first electric vehicle, the Luce, has sparked a wave of criticism since its unveiling last month, with the company defending the controversial design and saying customers need time to “digest” the car.
Priced at $626,000, the Luce is a four-door, five-seat electric model that marks a major departure from Ferrari’s traditional low-slung, gasoline-powered sports cars. Its unconventional styling — reportedly influenced by former Apple designers Jony Ive and Marc Newson — has drawn mockery online, with some critics comparing its shape to a household appliance.
“A car like this needs to be seen — and seen a lot — it needs to be digested,” Ferrari Chief Product Development Officer Gianmaria Fulgenzi said at a tech event in Milan. He argued that unfamiliar designs can take time for people to accept.
Ferrari has dismissed the backlash, saying demand remains strong and denying reports that customers must buy the Luce to gain access to other limited-edition models.
Fulgenzi acknowledged that the electric car’s design may challenge traditional ideas of what a Ferrari should look like, but said it still carries the brand’s performance DNA.
“It’s not true, it’s a different kind of Ferrari,” he said, adding that the Luce’s body design is “the most complex in our range.”
The vehicle features four electric motors producing 1,050 horsepower, with a top speed of 193 mph and a 62 mph acceleration time of 2.5 seconds.
Ferrari says the driving experience remains central to the Luce, arguing that despite the shift to electric power, the emotional connection behind the brand remains unchanged.
