Onstage in Turin at the Wave by Vento event, Ive pushed back on the early pile-on, arguing that the Luce draws a distinct reaction in person and that its unfamiliar look will be borne out by the driving experience. He appeared with Ferrari Chairman John Elkann, the technology event's sponsor, and noted that designers do not control whether customers ultimately like a finished product.
"You can make something new and different that's rubbish. That's very easy," he said. "It's very hard to make something that is new and different, and its newness is a consequence of it being better. And that's what we've tried to do." He also said, "It's not the future, but it's a part of the future of Ferrari." Ive described an unusually large gap between how the car comes across in photos and how it lands when seen in the metal.
Ferrari's first EV, the Luce, steps away from the brand's combustion-engine sports car roots with industrial lines, larger proportions, and a simpler interior. It has four doors, seats five, and debuted in May at €550,000 ($615,00). Early takes from analysts and social-media commentators compared its look to mass-market electric cars, setting up a chilly reception.
Design reception shapes demand long before the first delivery. Market Briefs covers the auto business free every morning.
According to Ive, over the past five years, groups from LoveFrom and Ferrari worked jointly to develop the car. Inside, the physical controls are meant to be operated by feel so drivers do not need to look away, and they provide immediate feedback. They investigated how to make the act of starting the EV feel more engaging. One experiment involved a key that shifts color once it's inside the vehicle.
If photos are skewing first impressions, seeing the Luce in person could lead to a different reaction.
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