MILAN, June 25 - Ferrari’s inaugural battery-electric model, the Luce, has produced intense debate among enthusiasts and commentators since it was unveiled last month. The company’s Chief Product Development Officer, Gianmaria Fulgenzi, said the car’s appearance and design choices need to be "digested" before they are fully appreciated.
The Luce is a four-door, five-seat family car priced at c550,000 ($626,000). Its styling - attributed largely to former Apple designers Jony Ive and Marc Newson - departs sharply from Ferrari’s familiar profile of low-slung, petrol-powered sports cars, prompting a wave of criticism and a stream of unflattering social media reactions that included comparisons to household objects.
Speaking on the sidelines of a Siemens-organised technology event in Milan, Fulgenzi said: "A car like this needs to be seen - and seen a lot - it needs to be digested, right? Otherwise your mind rejects certain solutions, it shuts them out." He argued that repeated exposure is necessary for some viewers to accept the design solutions adopted on the new model.
Ferrari has signalled it is unfazed by the negative commentary, saying customer interest remains strong. Company executives also denied media reports that it is obliging top clients to buy the Luce as a condition for being allowed to purchase other limited-edition Ferraris.
Fulgenzi acknowledged that the Luce’s unconventional appearance - a form driven largely by aerodynamic constraints - could cause some observers to question whether it is a "real Ferrari." He said: "but thatile oesnxist, it different kind of Ferrari." He added that the model odyshell "is the most complex in our range."
On performance, the Luce is equipped with four electric motors producing a combined 1,050 horsepower. Ferrari says the car can reach a top speed of 310 kilometres per hour and accelerate from 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) in 2.5 seconds.
Fulgenzi also spoke to the sensations the car delivers: "When you get inside, you feel a certain kind of emotion, and when you drive it you realize you ome back home, because those driving sensations that you get with other (Ferrari) cars you also get them with this one," he said.
Market data shown alongside the company overage referenced Ferrari NV nd the ticker RACE, with an illustration of the stock at 355.07, up 6.32 points (1.81%).
Contextual note: The euro-dollar conversion cited in relation to the vehicle price in some reporting used the rate $1 = 0.8787 euros.