Asger Risom
Ferrari has officially debuted the Luce, a historic $640,000 EV that serves as the legendary automaker’s first fully electric and first five-seat vehicle. Boasting 1,035 horsepower from four electric motors and a radical design collaboration with former Apple designer Jony Ive, the Luce represents a massive, technologically advanced leap into the electric era for Maranello.
The iconic Italian performance brand has officially unveiled its first-ever fully electric car, the Luce. Breaking away from nearly eight decades of tradition, the new model marks a historic milestone for Maranello as it introduces a radical, battery-powered executive vehicle that stands as the brand’s first true five-seater.
Unprecedented power and packaging
The Luce—meaning “light” in Italian—is an ambitious engineering feat. Driven by a 122-kWh battery pack integrated directly into the chassis, the EV utilizes four independent electric motors (one for each wheel) to produce a staggering combined output of 1,035 horsepower. This allows the roughly 5,000-pound vehicle to launch from 0 to 62 mph in a blistering 2.5 seconds, with a top speed of 193 mph.
Priced at an estimated $640,000, the Luce is the result of a unique collaboration between Ferrari and Lovefrom, the design firm founded by former Apple chief designer Sir Jony Ive. The vehicle features a dramatic, aerodynamically optimized “glass house” design, center-opening rear-hinged doors, and a sleek cabin that prioritizes tactile physical switchgear over excessive touchscreens.
Amplifying real mechanics over fake sounds
One of the biggest questions surrounding an electric Ferrari is how it will sound without the roar of a V8 or V12 engine. According to Ferrari’s official engineering breakdown, the automaker has entirely rejected artificial synthesis or fake engine noise. Instead, a precision accelerometer mounted on the rear axle captures the genuine mechanical vibrations of the rotating components. The car then equalizes and amplifies these authentic frequencies—much like an electric guitar pickup—producing a functional sound that reacts dynamically to the driver’s input.
A necessary step for innovation
While some traditionalists have expressed skepticism over the shift to battery power and a five-seat layout, Ferrari maintains that the Luce’s form and powertrain were essential.
According to an interview published by CarExpert, Ferrari executives stressed that building the Luce as an EV “was not a marketing feature,” but rather the only way to achieve the specific dynamic targets they had set. The four-motor layout allows for unprecedented torque vectoring and integration with the active suspension, sharing information through a central vehicle control unit at speeds impossible with traditional combustion architecture. Furthermore, the brand confirmed that the five-seat configuration is the optimum balance for the battery packaging, ruling out any future two-seat variants of the Luce.
Sources: Ferrari Official, CarExpert
