Ferrari’s Luce stuns investors as backlash spreads online

Ferrari’s Luce – Ferrari unveiled the Luce—its first all-electric car—on the anniversary of its first Rome Grand Prix victory, partnering with Jony Ive and Marc Newson’s LoveFrom. While the automaker positions it as an “entirely new” Ferrari built on a radically different elec

For a company built on recognizable silhouettes and unmistakable engine sound, Ferrari’s first all-electric car arrived like a provocation.

Shares in the Italian luxury automaker fell in premarket trading Tuesday after Ferrari unveiled the Luce. The car’s name comes from the Italian word for “light,” and the debut marked the anniversary of Ferrari’s first Rome Grand Prix victory.

The Luce is expected to sell for about $640. 000. putting it firmly in the territory of a luxury purchase rather than a mass-market bet. Even so, the first reactions have moved fast—and they aren’t subtle. Online. many people complained that the car doesn’t look like a Ferrari at all. likening it to the sleek. compact. rounded forms of an iPad instead of the brand’s traditional sports-car style. known for sharper. more angular aerodynamic lines.

On Reddit, users called the Luce “awful,” while others compared it to Waymo. Car & Driver commenters said they didn’t see “Ferrari DNA” in the design. On X, some called it a “beautiful ugly car,” and others joked about whether it was available on Temu or designed by Hot Wheels.

Ferrari’s design story, however, begins somewhere else.

In a statement. Jony Ive explained that the car’s electric drive train enables a “radically new architecture.” He said that architecture allowed for spaciousness that most sports cars cannot afford. Ive also framed the project as an effort to confront the change that comes with a new power source—without simply copying the past.

“The design approach was driven by a determination to explore. exploit. and celebrate the unprecedented opportunities afforded by a new power source. ” Ive said. “While inspired by this extraordinary opportunity. we were mindful of the challenges of moving beyond the visceral engagement and soulful engine noise of the past.”.

Ferrari says the Luce comes with more than 60 new patents. It may also be the closest thing to an “Apple car” after Apple dropped its EV project in 2024—an industry thread that only sharpened the public focus on the new partnership. The car’s shell-like form has already been described as reminiscent of a computer mouse. with a top that feels as though it could function like a multi-touch trackpad you can click.

Even its lighting is designed to feel less like automotive tradition and more like consumer electronics. Ferrari’s exterior design is built on the concept of a glass house with a light and airy interior. Inside. lighting effects are dynamic and futuristic: front and rear lights are transparent and slowly recede after the car is switched off. After docking the key, Ferrari yellow glows from the key across the interface.

The interior’s tech-meets-touch experience is also part of Ive’s argument. He said the physical controls were built to replace the “sterile” sensation of an iPhone touchscreen. Instead, knobs, switches, and buttons offer what he described as a more tactile experience. Earlier this year—when Ferrari previewed the EV’s steering wheel. center console. seat. and dashboard components—Ive told Fast Company: “We really wanted every part. every component. to be designed as an individual product. So it’s like dozens and dozens of cameras and watches.”.

It’s an approach that Ferrari insisted it set out to win for itself.

The Luce. Ferrari said in a statement. “lights the way towards the future.” The company added: “Not merely the ‘electric Ferrari’ but an entirely new Ferrari.” Ferrari also underscored that its decision to tap outside designers was intentional—bringing a new perspective and design language as it adapts to EVs.

Still, the speed and tone of the online pushback have landed where it hurts most: on the brand’s most visible asset—its look.

The negative early reaction may be familiar to anyone who has watched automakers struggle with EV transitions. But for Ferrari, the stakes aren’t about persuading every driver in the market. At a price as high as about $640. 000. Ferrari doesn’t need the wider public to fall in love with the Luce in order to sell it. There are only a limited number of customers who can afford an EV costing more than the average U.S. home.

In that sense, the Luce looks less like a bid for mass approval and more like a deliberate act of differentiation—built for buyers who want something bold, expensive, and unlike anything else on the road, even if it means upsetting the very people who want Ferrari to stay unmistakable.

Ferrari Luce all-electric car Jony Ive LoveFrom Marc Newson premarket trading EV design luxury automaker Italian luxury stock decline Apple car