In a landmark moment for one of the world’s most iconic luxury automakers, Italian supercar brand Ferrari has pulled back the curtain on its first-ever fully electric vehicle, the Luce — marking the brand’s long-awaited entry into the premium clean mobility space, years after rivals including Porsche and Lamborghini launched their own electric high-performance models.
Named for the Italian word for “Light”, the Luce made its debut in Rome, where executives including Ferrari chairman John Elkann presented the vehicle to Italian President Sergio Mattarella, and later to Pope Leo XIV at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, where the pontiff got a chance to sit behind the wheel. Ferrari confirmed that Elkann donated the car’s steering wheel to the pope as a symbolic gesture during the meeting.
As the second four-door model in Ferrari’s 78-year history, following the Purosangue SUV launched in 2023, and the brand’s first five-seater, the Luce breaks with decades of Ferrari tradition that centered on sleek, two-seater sports cars built around roaring, high-output internal combustion engines. Today, nearly half of all Ferrari vehicles sold already feature hybrid powertrains, but the prancing horse brand took years to commit to a fully electric offering amid internal debate over preserving its signature driving experience.
Engineered with performance at its core, the Luce boasts specifications that match the brand’s high-performance pedigree: it can hit a top speed of more than 310 kilometers per hour (192 miles per hour), accelerates from zero to 100 kilometers per hour in just 2.5 seconds, and is powered by a 122 kWh battery that delivers a range of more than 530 kilometers on a single charge. Weighing in at 2.26 tonnes, the car supports ultra-fast charging that can boost the battery from 10% to 80% capacity in just 20 to 25 minutes, per Ferrari’s official claims.
While most core components were developed in-house at Ferrari’s facilities in Maranello, the brand tapped high-profile external design talent for the Luce: the vehicle’s styling was created by LoveFrom, the design collective founded by former Apple chief design officer Jony Ive — the mind behind many of Apple’s most iconic products — alongside renowned industrial designer Marc Newson. Ferrari describes the Luce as a “glass house”, featuring distinctive hidden headlights that are invisible when turned off, and a rear design that pays homage to classic Ferrari models including the 360 Modena. The vehicle is built in a purpose-built new factory at Ferrari’s historic Maranello headquarters in northern Italy, with first customer deliveries scheduled to begin by the end of 2026. Industry analysts project the starting price will exceed 700,000 euros ($815,000) before customizations.
Despite the brand’s legacy and the Luce’s impressive specifications, the unveiling failed to win over investors, as the launch comes amid a broader global slowdown in consumer demand for electric vehicles that has forced many major automakers to scale back their EV ambitions. By midday Tuesday on the Milan stock exchange, Ferrari shares dropped 6.3% to 290.45 euros, making it the worst-performing stock on the index that day. This share drop follows a sharp decline in October 2025, when the first details of the Luce were released, and analysts expressed disappointment that Ferrari’s long-term profit forecasts fell short of market expectations.
Ferrari has already adjusted its electrification roadmap in response to shifting market conditions: at the end of 2025, the automaker cut its 2030 target for electric vehicle share of its lineup from 40% to just 20%, reflecting broader industry caution around EV adoption. Many analysts remain skeptical that the high-priced Luce will deliver enough sales volume to meaningfully boost Ferrari’s bottom line. “We maintain the view that an electric model with a high price tag… will not generate significant volumes capable of bolstering Ferrari’s earnings,” Equita analysts wrote in a research note published Tuesday.
Other analysts are more optimistic about the model’s financial prospects. Analysts at Banca Akros noted that while the Luce carries some risk of margin dilution, the extremely high starting price — which climbs even higher with popular customizations — offsets that risk, and the model is already projected to be profitable at launch. Banca Akros also highlighted comments from Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna, who expects half of all Luce orders to come from buyers who have never owned a Ferrari before, opening up a new segment of customers for the brand.
Elkann emphasized in his debut speech that the Luce carries forward the core values that have made Ferrari a globally recognized symbol of luxury and performance, even as it moves the brand into a zero-emission future. Whether the new electric model will live up to that promise and win over both consumers and investors remains to be seen as the first deliveries approach later this year.