Ferrari’s first electric car is here — and it’s unlike any Ferrari before it

The most controversial Ferrari ever? The most momentous? The most divisive? All are true of the car (or is that SUV?) you see here. Say hello to Ferrari’s first ever electric car, the new Ferrari Luce.

Looks different, doesn’t it? In fact, if you covered the Prancing Horse badge on the nose, would you immediately recognise it as a Ferrari? We’re not sure we would. Partly that’s because it wasn’t designed by Ferrari’s in-house team. Instead, Ferrari turned to design agency LoveForm, which was co-founded by Sir Jonathan Ive and Australian Marc Newson.

Even if you haven’t heard of Ive, you’re most certainly familiar with his work because he’s the former chief designer at Apple and one of the key figures behind the iPhone. Ive’s distinctive and meticulous approach is apparent throughout and is especially evident in the radically different interior. But there are nods to previous Ferrari models, too.

A couple of design details to mention: the wheels are enormous, measuring 23 inches up front and 24 inches at the back. The rear doors are rear-hinged, like a Rolls-Royce, and the windscreen wipers rest on the A-pillars, rather than the base of the windscreen. We’ll let you decide whether the Luce’s appearance – the name, by the way, means ‘light’ – is a hit or a miss but there’s no denying it’s brave. And striking.

Underneath, the Luce is a big departure for Ferrari. Power comes from a 122kWh battery pack which feeds four electric motors, one per wheel. Total combined power is 772kW (1050 horsepower), while the kerb weight is 2260kg. That’s pretty reasonable for an EV that’s five metres long and has a big battery and helps the Luce achieve a 0-100km/h time of 2.5 seconds. Top speed is 310km/h, while claimed driving range is 530km.

With a Cd rating of 0.254 the Luce is the slipperiest car Ferrari has ever made. It’s also one of the roomiest, with the cabin boasting room for five passengers, which is a first for Ferrari, and a big boot.

Ferrari claims 95 per cent of the components used in the Luce are new, which feels appropriate given the majority of Luce customers are expected to be new to the brand. As for how many customers Ferrari will actually get, time will tell. Demand for high-end electric cars has been tepid, so much so that many of Ferrari’s rivals have cancelled or delayed plans for their own pure EV models. We’ll have to wait to know whether the Luce is a sales success or failure but one thing for certain is this is the most interesting Ferrari in decades.