Fiat Lux. Or rather, Ferrari Luce. Maranello has finally unveiled its first (perhaps only?) electric car, an event long awaited if only for the hype that the Prancing Horse’s marketing managed to create around the presentation, carefully releasing news and images in the shadows over the months.
ELECTRIC CAR, THE RIVALS STALL AND FERRARI ACCELERATES
A certainly bold choice, especially when commented on against the backdrop of news and moves from other manufacturers – starting with Porsche – who, as is well known, are making a real retreat from the electric car sector.
For the premiere, the Prancing Horse moved from Maranello to Rome at the Calatrava Sail, on a date far from casual: on May 25, 1947, Ferrari won the Grand Prix at the Caracalla Baths, its first overall victory. Seventy-nine years later, the car crossing the finish line is one that, as you will soon see, will spark quite a debate.
The performance is true Ferrari: four electric motors, two per axle, with an 800 V architecture and a total of 1,050 HP in Launch Control mode. Ferrari Luce goes from 0-100 km/h in 2.5 seconds and the top speed is 310 km/h. No cylinders under the hood: just a 122 kW battery with a range of up to 530 km. The price is also true Ferrari: over 550,000 euros.
A FERRARI A BIT LIKE AN iPhone?
What changes compared to other cars in the stable is certainly the design: Ferrari Luce openly admits it was designed far from Italy, being the product of Sir Jony Ive’s LoveFrom collective, father of the MacBook and iPhone, under the supervision of the Ferrari Style Center led by Flavio Manzoni.
That it is a car reminiscent of “American devices” is also evident from several details, such as the key which, including an eInk panel (the same as eBooks), transfers its yellow color to the dashboard when the “engine” is started. Or the huge tablet accompanying the classic instrumentation.
THE “CURSE” OF MONTEZEMOLO
The new Ferrari Luce will hit the road by the end of the year, with a list price starting at 550,000 euros. But the welcome is anything but warm. Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, president of Ferrari S.p.A. from 1991 to 2014 and of Ferrari N.V. from 2013 to 2014, was decidedly bitter: “At least this is a car that the Chinese won’t copy,” he said bitterly according to Ansa.
Then the entrepreneur added: “If I were to say what I think, I would hurt Ferrari. There is a risk of destroying a myth and I am very sorry.” Finally, he addressed the current management of Maranello: “At least take the prancing horse off.”
MARKETS AND SOCIAL MEDIA DO NOT APPRECIATE
The markets also do not seem to appreciate. If the stock chart were telemetry, it would not capture a record lap.
At 11 a.m. the day after the presentation, the time at which we write these lines, the stock settled on a drop exceeding 6 percentage points, after an even worse session start, at -7.
The blame, analysts agree, lies with the excessively high price at which it will be offered to the public, which risks making the Italian supercar even more niche than usual. As if Ferrari, just to plant its flag in new powertrains and fearing criticism on the performance front, had not worried about the project’s sustainability.
It’s not only investors who are puzzled about the existence of this bizarre electric car. On social media, there is no shortage of mockery and jokes. The Italian magazine Quattroruote collected some, highlighting that some claim it is “a Toyota Prius” branded Ferrari. Others wonder if it is a very cheap BYD. The aesthetic look of Ferrari Luce seems to unite everyone and, above all, overshadows the fact that it is an electric car, an aspect that until now had made purists watch yesterday’s event with considerable skepticism.
There are even those who jokingly directly question Ferrari’s management, asking if this is all a clever Machiavellian move to avoid making electric cars. And if sales reflect investors’ fears and social moods, Ferrari Luce could indeed remain a one-off in Maranello’s stable. And that might not be a bad thing.
