Ferrari Unveils First Electric Model Designed With Former Apple Designer

Ferrari unveiled its first electric vehicle, the Luce, on Tuesday morning. The $640,000 two-seater was developed in partnership with former Apple designer Jony Ive and his collaborator Marc Newson. The car features an upper body made entirely of glass over an aluminum structure.

Its interior uses rounded surfaces, thin lighting strips, and flush controls that depart from Ferrari’s usual mechanical styling.

Social-media users split sharply over the appearance.

Some praised the minimalist approach, while others posted memes comparing the car to an Apple Store minivan or a child’s remote-control toy. One critic wrote that the Luce “does not look like a Ferrari” and instead resembled a 2002 Honda hydrogen concept or a prop from the film Demolition Man.

Ferrari chief design officer Flavio Manzoni acknowledged the design is polarizing. He said he expects traditional customers to accept the car over time. The company added an external amplification system that plays an engine-like sound when the accelerator is pressed, since the electric powertrain itself produces no audible noise.

announced plans for an electric model in 2021 and signed a design agreement with Ive’s firm LoveFrom the same year. Chairman John Elkann cited the Apple Watch as a successful example of updating an analog product for the digital era. A new $230 million factory opened in Italy in 2024 to build the Luce. Ferrari shares fell about 6 percent on the day of the unveiling.