Today's Edition
ROME (AFP)
Italian luxury carmaker Ferrari has unveiled its first fully electric model, the Luce - Italian for "Light", joining rivals like Porsche and Lamborghini to offer clean-energy driving thrills.
Renowned for its powerful engines, the prestigious sports car manufacturer already sells nearly half of its cars in hybrid versions. Yet the brand with the prancing horse logo took several years before deciding to throw its hat into the all-electric ring.
The five-seat Luce - which analysts believe could be priced upwards of 700,000 euros ($815,000) - boasts a top speed of over 310 kilometres per hour, accelerating to 100km/h in 2.5 seconds, according to Ferrari.
With a massive 122kWh battery, it offers a range of over 530 kilometres and weighs 2.26 tonnes. With fast charging, the vehicle can reach an 80% charge from 10% in 20 to 25 minutes, the company claims.
The car is only the second Ferrari model with four doors in the company's history, after the Purosangue SUV, and the first five-seater for a brand better known for its sleek two-seaters.
"This new model carries into the future the values that make Ferrari instantly recognisable all over the world," Ferrari chairman John Elkann said after presenting the car to Italian President Sergio Mattarella in Rome.
While the brand developed many of the components in-house, the Luce's design was entrusted to the LoveFrom collective of Jony Ive, who designed many of Apple's most iconic products, and industrial designer Marc Newson.
Ferrari described its new electric vehicle as a "glass house", with headlights that are invisible when switched off, and a rear end reminiscent of famous models such as the 360 Modena.
Built in a brand-new factory in Maranello, northern Italy, the first cars are scheduled for delivery toward the end of this year.
Ferrari's chief executive Benedetto Vigna has said he expects half of the Luce orders to come from new clients.
Ferrari had scaled back its electric ambitions at the end of 2025, projecting that electric models would account for 20% of its lineup in 2030, down from its previous target of 40%.
