The jump of Ferrari to the electric car It already has a name, specifications, and, above all, a very distinctive interior. The Ferrari Luce will be the first sports car from the Maranello brand powered exclusively by batteries, and its cabin bears the signature of... Jony Ive and his studio LoveFrom, in a collaboration that has been quietly developing for years between Italy and California.
Far from simply filling the car with screens, Ive has promoted an approach in which physical interaction, premium materials, and ergonomics They weigh as heavily as power or range. The result is an interior that aims to feel both classic and futuristic, and which in Europe is already seen as a potential benchmark for what high-end electric sports cars should be.
Ferrari Luce: Maranello's first electric car aims very high
Ferrari has named its first 100% electric sports car as Luce"Light" in Italian, a name the brand itself interprets as a declaration of intent. The model inaugurates a new segment in the range: a large, four-door, four-seater, fully electric touring car that aims to maintain the brand's character despite the technological change.
According to preliminary information released by the brand in Europe, the Luce will feature more than 1.000 horsepower in maximum mode and will be able to go from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2,5 secondsThe top speed is in the region of 310 km/hFigures that place it squarely in the electric hypercar league.
The energy is provided by a 122 kWh battery Developed and assembled in Maranello. Ferrari speaks of a certified range exceeding 530 kilometers Under the European WLTP cycle, supported by a high-voltage architecture designed for both circuit performance and long road trips.
The Italian brand insists that electrification is a a means to enhance their sporting DNALuce is not an end in itself. It is not intended to be an isolated technological exercise, but rather the first step in a strategy with which Ferrari aims to lead the electric sports car market in Europe without abandoning its historical heritage.
Jony Ive's signature: tactility, calmness, and almost handcrafted design.
The collaboration between Ferrari and Jony Ive It was officially announced in 2021, although the joint work began earlier. During more than five yearsThe LoveFrom team has worked closely with Ferrari's Style Centre, intervening in "all dimensions of the design" of the Luce, with a special focus on the interior and user experience.
Ferrari describes the project as a “deliberate expression of their vision of the future”A car that respects the brand's heritage but dares to reinterpret every component, from ergonomics to the interface. Ive, accustomed to redefining consumer products at Apple, has brought his obsession with the Functional simplicity and precision in the details.
The passenger compartment has been designed with clean and rational formsThe aim is to convey tranquility and focus rather than constant spectacle. The idea is not for the driver to be distracted admiring the dashboard, but for everything to be intuitive from the very first moment, even at high speed on an autobahn or a winding European road.
Ferrari insists that the hardware and interface were developed jointly, so that The physical architecture and the software function as a single systemIt's not about placing a tablet on a dashboard, but about integrating screens, buttons, and materials with a coherence that is more reminiscent of a precision instrument than a gadget.
Physical controls versus the invasion of touchscreens
One of the most striking aspects of the Ferrari Luce is that He deliberately distances himself from fashion by turning everything into a large touchscreen. Jony Ive has openly explained that he would never have designed a car controlled solely through screens, because it forces you to take your eyes off the road for too long.
Inside the Luce there are many buttons, levers and mechanical switches Designed to be operated "blindly," each control has its own texture, resistance, and sound when activated, so the driver can distinguish them by touch without losing focus on what's happening in front of the car.
This philosophy can be seen, for example, in the ventswhich open and close with a deliberate click, or in the physical climate controls located below the central screen. Even the clock in the corner of the interface is operated via physical buttons, although inside it is actually a small digital display.
Ive himself acknowledges that touch technology was revolutionary in mobile phones because it allowed a single device to function as a calculator, camera, or keyboard. However, he argues that It's not the right tool to be the main interface of a carwhere the priority is safety and the ability to handle functions by instinct.
In this sense, the Ferrari Luce aligns with a trend that is beginning to emerge among several European manufacturers: after years of eliminating buttons, some are bringing them back. essential physical controls in response to user complaints about the distractions caused by the ubiquitous touchscreens.
A steering wheel with a classic feel and 21st-century technology
The steering wheel of the Ferrari Luce is probably the element that best summarizes the project's approach. Ferrari and LoveFrom started with the historic Nardi three-spoke steering wheels from the 50s and 60s, reinterpreting them for a modern electric sports car with all current safety requirements.
Made in 100% recycled aluminum And wrapped in layers of leather, the steering wheel is thinner than usual and a few 400 grams lighter than a conventional steering wheel of the brand. At its center, a solid aluminum steering column is combined with the structures necessary to integrate the airbag and all electronic systems.
Behind the hoop are positioned two metal shift levers They emit a crisp, cold click when engaged, more reminiscent of a mechanical sequential gearbox than an electronic selector in an electric car. Although the vehicle lacks a traditional gearbox, Ferrari and Ive wanted to preserve that feeling of direct control over power delivery.
They concentrate on the steering wheel itself numerous physical controlsFrom the turn signals and windshield wipers to the driving mode management, everything is fully integrated. The classic Manettino selector coexists with a specific eManettino for the electric powertrain, allowing you to switch between usage profiles focused on range, comfort, or pure performance.
One of the most curious details is the small windshield wiper control Located in the upper right corner: a dial with a tiny lens that magnifies a hidden, custom-made Samsung OLED micro-panel. It's a very literal blend of mechanics and electronics in a minimal space.
Hybrid instrumentation: real needles and custom OLED
Behind the wheel, the Ferrari Luce debuts a new set of three main indicators combining digital and analog elements. At a time when many cars are opting for a simple rectangular panel, here they've chosen a more complex but also more expressive solution.
The central panel, about 12 inches in diameter, displays the speedometer and battery charge statuswith a real mechanical needle moving over digital graphics. On the sides are secondary indicators, slightly over ten inches, dedicated to power output, energy regeneration and other dynamic parameters.
Each of these indicators is covered by a transparent glass specially developed by CorningIt features a screen capable of almost completely eliminating reflections and is framed in anodized aluminum rings. Behind it are several layers of electronics and OLED panels supplied by Samsung, which enable this blend of physical depth and flexible information display.
The set is designed to, at first glance, resemble a painting of a post-war classic FerrariBut with the graphic versatility of modern instrumentation. Furthermore, Ferrari has created a specific typeface for the Luce, inspired by the brand's historical lettering and Italian engineering, to reinforce that sense of continuity.
The brand claims that the goal was to offer a controlled visual spectacleEnough to excite the driver when starting the car or changing modes, but without overwhelming them with unnecessary animations while driving on a European highway or secondary road.
A central screen that doesn't want to be the star.
In the center of the dashboard is what will likely be the most talked-about screen in the coming months. It's a panel tablet-style OLED, mounted on a spherical base that allows the surface to be oriented towards both the driver and the passenger.
Below the screen there is a kind of so which serves as a gripping point for moving it and, at the same time, as a wrist support. The idea is that the user can interact with the touch surface without having to "float" their hand in the air, thus reducing jerky movements and the need to stare for too long.
Around that panel, literally passing through it, are located physical switches and even a crystal volume controlFerrari and LoveFrom asked Samsung for a very unusual solution: a custom-made screen perforated by a circular area that acts as a clock, chronograph or compass depending on the driver's needs.
The result is a hybrid interface where the screen is used for what it does best—maps, multimedia such as Apple Musiccontextual information—, while the functions that are constantly being played (temperature, volume, basic access) are assigned to mechanical elements recognizable by touch.
This same philosophy is replicated in the top panelAbove the driver's head are physical buttons for activating Launch Mode, managing exterior lighting, and operating the defroster. Again, these are critical functions located away from complex touch menus.
The center console: technical glass and a very special key
The Ferrari Luce's center console is dominated by a piece of glass that inevitably recalls Ive's work with electronics, but reinterpreted for a car with over 1.000 hp. The star element is a compact inverted L-shaped gear selector, manufactured with a specific variant of Gorilla Glass developed by Corning.
This component has hardened into a salt bath at 400 ºC and perforated with around 13.000 micro-holes It uses lasers to provide highly precise internal illumination, without any visible cables or LEDs. Despite weighing less than half a kilo, it offers a solid feel when moving between positions, reminiscent of old mechanical controls.
Next to the selector is the space for the car keyThis component has also received special attention. With a minimalist prism-shaped design and the prancing horse logo on a yellow background, it incorporates electronics and serves as an essential element for starting the vehicle when inserted into its base.
When the key is inserted into the console, the Luce starts a sequence of lights and color changes Inside, it acts as a "start-up ritual." Part of that animation is visible in the glass gearshift itself, reinforcing the feeling that the car "comes to life" when the key is turned.
The console also includes cup holders, small compartments and additional controlsAll of them designed with the same attention to tactile feedback. Ferrari speaks of buttons that bounce with the precision of an old iPhone home button, a reference that makes it clear to what extent a very specific type of physical response has been sought.
Fine materials, craftsmanship and a very European philosophy
Beyond the electronics, the interior of the Ferrari Luce is a statement of principles on how materials should be used in a modern luxury car. Ferrari insists that every element has been applied “in its noblest form”, without superfluous layers or purely decorative details.
The aluminum appears milled, polished, or anodized depending on the function of each part, from the steering wheel to the rails that attach the seats to the floor, which have also been aesthetically refined even though they are barely visible. Leather is used with understated patterns and precise stitching, without resorting to unnecessary contrasts.
The technical glass developed with Corning is present in dozens of componentsFrom the indicator lenses to the gearshift itself, everything features a treatment that combines durability, clarity, and glare control. The overall impression is of an interior designed to age gracefully, transcending fleeting trends.
Ferrari frames all of this within a philosophy in which Electrification is a path, not a destination.Luce does not want to be a technological showcase disconnected from European artisanal tradition, but a demonstration that it is possible to combine electric motors, digital interfaces and high-level finishes without falling into excess or coldness.
To explain this process, the brand has even launched a documentary miniseries in which he will go through the different steps of the development, from the first sketches in LoveFrom to the final tests on the road and track.
Between the Ferrari legacy and the shadow of the Apple Car
The choice of Jony Ive is no coincidence. After leaving Apple in 2019, the British designer founded LoveFrom with Marc Newson and has worked with several top brands, but the Ferrari project is the one that most clearly connects its technological past with a new sector.
For years there was speculation about the possibility of a Apple CarThe Ferrari Luce, an electric car developed in secret in Cupertino that never saw the light of day, is now seen by many observers as the closest thing to that project: a vehicle where interface design, materials, and user experience would be as important as the motor or battery.
Ferrari itself has long maintained close ties with the Apple ecosystemFrom the early adoption of CarPlay to the presence of executives from the Californian company on its board, the Luce, compatible with the latest iPhone integration systems, reinforces this relationship at a time when connected cars are gaining traction in Europe.
At the same time, the project underscores the differences between the two worlds. While Apple would have had to design a relatively mass-market product, with prices comparable to Tesla's, Ferrari can afford to an ultra-exclusive approachfocused on small volumes and a level of detail that would be difficult to scale.
For the European automotive industry, the Luce thus becomes a case study on how to manage a technological transition without diluting the brand identity. And for Ive, it confirms that his design language can be transferred to a field as regulated and complex as that of high-performance automobiles.
The final exterior design and many commercial details are still to be revealed, but the interior of the Ferrari Luce already makes it clear what it's all about: an electric sports car with over 1.000 hp that doesn't compromise on tradition or craftsmanship, in which physical controls, glass, and aluminum They are becoming as important as OLED screens and software. With this move, Ferrari hopes to consolidate its position in the electric era and, at the same time, set the pace for other luxury manufacturers in Europe.
