Electric car Ferrari Luce: Shining with electricity

The name itself is a statement: "Luce" is Italian for electricity, derived of course from the original meaning "light". For Ferrari, an electric car is not just another offering; it is, of course, also a gamble given the Tifosi, who have always been overwhelmingly enthusiastic about multi-cylinder combustion engines – more so than many residents, naturally. But times are such that a manufacturer without an electric car must face very expensive penalties or – less expensively – find a business partner with electric cars. However, simply creating an electric Ferrari Purosangue now would contradict the self-image of the brand from Maranello. "The Ferrari Luce brings together what we are and what we want to be," says John Elkann, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ferrari.

A bit of Apple design DNA

The Ferrari Luce is certainly not a flat two-seater, an SUV, or a classic Gran Turismo by chance. It is a five-seater, four-door crossover with four electric motors, 772 kW, a battery with a capacity of 122 kWh, 800-volt architecture, active suspension, rear-axle steering, and a design that has not been seen before at Ferrari. Not only Flavio Manzoni and the Centro Stile shaped the form, but also LoveFrom, the creative collective around Jony Ive and Marc Newson. Jony Ive was instrumental in the design of the iMac G3 with its colorful, transparent all-in-one design that saved Apple, and in the design of the iPod with its Click Wheel.

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Ferrari Luce Teil eins (4 Bilder)

The Luce does not rely on aggressive supercar styling, but on a shell-like line. Entirely in the spirit of devices from Cupertino with the bitten apple. Doors opening in opposite directions facilitate access. With 0.254, the Luce achieves the lowest drag coefficient of all Ferraris, yet is said to generate significant downforce. Added to this is the fact that the Luce's center of gravity is 9.5 centimeters lower than that of the Purosangue. The Luce is 5.026 meters long, 1.999 meters wide, 1.544 meters high, and with 2.961 meters, has exactly the wheelbase of a 296 GTB.

Almost sleek

The cabin is positioned far forward, the "module-to-pack" battery deep in the vehicle floor. This allows the pouch cells to be replaced if necessary, for example, when more powerful energy storage units become available. Charging is possible at up to 350 kW. The Luce is expected to travel around 530 kilometers on a single battery charge. This is not outstanding, despite a maximum recuperation of 500 kW. The rear axle motors each produce 310 kW, the front ones 105 kW each. With a system output of 772 kW, the Luce is similarly powerful to a Porsche Taycan Turbo GT with 760 kW, the Lotus Emeya R with 675 kW, or the Mercedes-AMG GT with up to 860 kW. The Luce accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.5 seconds, from 0 to 200 km/h in 6.8 seconds, and reaches a top speed of 310 km/h. The curb weight is 2260 kilograms, which is almost sleek for a five-seater electric car with a 122 kWh battery.

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Ferrari Luce Teil zwei (7 Bilder)

Four permanent magnet synchronous motors allow torque vectoring across the longitudinal and transverse axes. This is intended to make the Luce feel lighter than it is. The axle load distribution of 48 to 52 percent (front/rear) aids dynamics. In addition, there is independent rear-wheel steering, which allows the wheels to turn up to 2.15 degrees, and the active suspension derived from the F80. The necessary traction is provided by tires in the almost monstrous dimensions of 265/35-23 (front) and 315/30-24 (rear).

At first glance into the interior, it is clear that Apple designers were at work here. And that's a good thing. Instead of bundling the controls into a central screen, the Italians combine mechanical buttons, rotary knobs, toggle switches, and OLED displays. The smartphone can be integrated via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto; the Luce does not have its own navigation. Over-the-air updates are also not possible. Such purism in a 550.000 euro car can be afforded when you are called Ferrari. However, the risk for the brand is likely less the price than the complete transition, for which the traditional brand from Maranello will certainly be hoping for entirely new customers.

(mack)