Ferrari Ex-CEO's Scathing Comments On Luce EV: At Least This Is A Car The Chinese Won’t Copy
One of the most talked-about cars on the internet in the last two days is probably the new Ferrari Luce EV. It is Ferrari’s first-ever electric vehicle, and it has been getting a lot of criticism online. Ferrari is known for its beautiful designs, and the new Luce EV is not that. It is not like any Ferrari that you have seen before, and that is probably the reason why we are hearing criticism not just from social media users but also from former Ferrari employees.
Luca di Montezemolo, the former chairman of Ferrari, was asked about the design of the new Ferrari EV, and he didn’t hold back. He told the media, “If I were to say what I really think, I’d be doing Ferrari a disservice. We risk destroying a legend, and I’m truly sorry about that. I hope they at least remove the prancing horse from that car.”
He also sarcastically said, “Luce is certainly a car that at least the Chinese won’t copy.” While we have seen many car brands come up with ugly designs in the past, this is probably the first time a senior official - someone who once served as the boss of a brand like Ferrari - has come forward with such harsh comments.
Ferrari unveiled its first electric car, the Luce EV, recently. The exterior design is by LoveFrom, and it looks nothing like a Ferrari. It is a four-door, five-seater GT. It doesn’t look like a high-performance Ferrari or an EV. There are memes circulating on the internet that compare the design to a soapbox or a bar of soap.
It is a born-electric vehicle, and like the Purosangue, the Ferrari Luce EV gets rear-hinged suicide doors. At the front, you would see sleek LED headlamps that are placed inside gloss-black trim that covers the width of the car. Below that, there is an air curtain, and we also see a gloss-black splitter beneath it. At the side, there is a black air outlet, 23- to 24-inch wheels, a sloping roof, quad LED tail lamps, and an aerodynamic rear bumper.
Just like the exterior, the interior of the Ferrari Luce EV follows a retro theme. The interior is actually designed by a former chief designer from Apple. The cabin gets anodised aluminium trim and leather upholstery. There is a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and for some reason, Ferrari decided to give it a grab handle below the touchscreen for adjusting the screen's angle.
Like most Ferraris, it comes with premium features like climate control, heated and ventilated seats, a lap timer, a clock, and so on. The steering wheel on the Luce EV is a thin-rimmed, three-spoke, flat-bottom unit, which gives it a retro look. The driver display is a 12.5-inch OLED unit.
The Luce EV is based on a brand-new 800V born-electric platform. It is powered by a 122 kWh battery pack that generates 1,050 PS and 990 Nm of torque. The power is sent to all four wheels, and it can do 0–100 km/h in just 2.5 seconds. The top speed of the Luce EV is 310 km/h. The claimed driving range of this EV is around 531 km.