Inside the Luce: Ferrari’s First All-Electric Supercar

Ferrari has revealed the interior of its first all-electric vehicle, named the Luce.

In collaboration with LoveFrom, a firm led by Sir Jony Ive of Apple fame and industrial designer Marc Newson, work on the car has been ongoing for five years. 

In Italian, “luce” means light or illumination, which the company says “signifies the brand’s unwavering focus on the future” and is a new naming strategy for an “important addition” to its range. 

The interior is packed with aluminium, made using 100% recycled alloy, and glass.

While the car’s exterior will not be revealed until May, its insides say a lot about Ferrari’s vision for EVs. 

Benedetto Vigna, Ferrari’s CEO, says in a video: “If you want to be a leader, you have to be bold. You don’t have to be afraid to explore new paths. 

“The best way to use technology is to start from the emotions and the feelings of human beings.” 

He explains that Ferrari wants to use EV technology to “redefine the limit of possible, audaciously”. 

The designers behind the dashboard

LoveFrom is described as a “creative collective” of architects, artists, filmmakers, graphic designers, industrial designers and more. 

It was founded in 2019 by Sir Ive and has studios in San Francisco and London.

Before founding this firm, he was Apple’s Chief Design officer with work across iconic products including the iPhone, MacBook, Apple Watch and iOS. 

LoveFrom works closely with OpenAI and a small number of selective projects including Ferrari. 

In the development phase, it worked with the Ferrari Styling Centre, led by Chief Design Officer Flavio Manzoni.

Inside the Luce

The Ferrari Luce has a three-spoke steering wheel similar to the Nardi wheel of the 1950s and 60s. 

It is made using recycled aluminium in an alloy developed specially for this vehicle to ensure mechanical resistance and high surface quality. 

The wheel is made from 19 CNC-machined parts and weighs 400 grams less than a standard Ferrari steering wheel. 

The Luce’s interface focuses on tactility, clarity and intuitive interaction, Ferrari says, using mechanical controls in many places. 

Its key is made of glass and features an E Ink display which, when inserted into its dock, changes colour from yellow to black.

The car features three displays: the driver binnacle, control panel and rear control panel.

A ball-and-socket joint allows the control panel to be oriented towards the driver or passenger and an embedded multigraph can display a clock, chronograph, compass or launch control. 

From ICE to EV

Gianmaria Fulgenzi, Chief Product Development Officer at Ferrari, says in a video: “Since this was the first time we developed a fully electric vehicle, we filed more than 60 patents. 

“At this moment, we are implementing into our production lines what will fuel the work of many young men and women who, through their daily efforts, will give even more value and even more heart to our cars.” 

The first car under the Ferrari name was made in 1947, and while the company has produced hybrid cars since 2013, the Luce will be its first BEV. 

“Building a car is an incredibly difficult endeavour, and it really takes the passion of so many people,” explains John Elkann, Executive Chairman of Ferrari.

“We really wanted to give ourselves the time to make sure that every single detail is the best possible.” 

Ferrari’s core team producing this car consists of more than 100 engineers and work across all areas from electric motors to inverters. 

“Ours is not an electric car,” Gianmaria says, “ours is an electric Ferrari. And those are two very different things.”