Ferrari Defends Luce After Viral Backlash as Early Orders and Market Volatility Follow

Overview

• Ferrari unveiled the Luce, its first fully electric production model, at events in Rome and Castel Gandolfo on May 26 when executives showed the car to Pope Leo XIV and let him sit in the driver's seat.
• The Luce uses a bespoke 800‑volt architecture with a 122 kWh battery, four independent in‑wheel motors that produce roughly 1,000+ horsepower, and a claimed range of about 529–530 km.
• Design by LoveFrom, the studio led by Sir Jony Ive and Marc Newson, broke with Ferrari's classic cues and provoked widespread social‑media memes and sharp criticism comparing the car to household objects.
• Markets reacted to the reveal with an about 8% drop in Ferrari shares on the Milan exchange, while CEO Benedetto Vigna said the company has seen 'strong interest,' that roughly 1,600 clients viewed the car, and that bank transfers/orders have begun with order figures to be published with Q2 results in July.
• Ferrari has priced the Luce near €550,000 with deliveries planned for northern‑hemisphere spring 2027 and says it cut production‑phase CO2 by about 70% using recycled aluminium, underscoring a broader tension between electrification, sustainability claims, and the brand’s combustion‑engine legacy.