Ferrari, the legendary Italian automaker known for its roaring V-12s and sleek, low-slung coupes, is about to upend its own playbook. After years of anticipation, the company has confirmed that its first all-electric vehicle will be called the Luce—Italian for "light"—rather than the previously rumored Elettrica. And while it may sound like a tribute to weightlessness, don’t be fooled: at just under 5,100 pounds, the Luce will be the heaviest Ferrari to date, even outweighing the burly Purosangue SUV.
The Luce marks a radical departure for Ferrari, not just in propulsion but in philosophy. This is a four-door, four-seat grand tourer—hardly the norm for a brand steeped in racing heritage and two-seat tradition. The car will deliver more than 1,000 horsepower from its four electric motors, launching it from zero to 60 mph in less than 2.5 seconds. Its 122 kWh battery pack, according to European rating standards, will offer an impressive 330 miles of range. The final, full reveal is slated for May 2026, but a detailed look at the interior is already setting the automotive world abuzz.
What truly sets the Luce apart is the collaboration behind its design. Ferrari partnered with LoveFrom, the creative agency founded by Jony Ive and Marc Newson—names synonymous with Apple’s most iconic products. According to Car and Driver, this partnership has been brewing for five years, with Ferrari chairman John Elkann, CEO Benedetto Vigna, and chief designer Flavio Manzoni working closely alongside the LoveFrom team. LoveFrom, recently acquired by OpenAI for $6.5 billion, brought its signature blend of minimalism and tactile charm to the project, infusing the Luce with a distinctly modern, yet familiar, aesthetic.
Step inside the Luce and you’re greeted by a symphony of glass and aluminum. The interior is awash in soft-edged screens, primary-color displays, and muted, brushed finishes in cool grey, matte silver, and light champagne gold. But unlike many modern cars that have banished buttons in favor of sprawling touchscreens, the Luce revels in physicality. Rows of machined metal switches beckon the driver’s fingertips, offering a satisfying click and clack that’s all too rare in today’s digital dashboards.
Jony Ive himself, speaking to Yahoo, explained this philosophy: "It was very clear to us that we needed to figure out as many ways as possible to viscerally and physically connect to the interface." He added, "When everything is flat, you stop absorbing the information." Despite his legacy as a pioneer of touchscreen tech, Ive insisted, "In a car, that’s just the wrong technology." Instead, the Luce’s controls—everything from drive modes to wipers and dash lighting—are manipulated via anodized aluminum switches set against black glass pods, while the volume and seek controls are tucked behind the steering wheel, flanked by paddles that modulate torque delivery for a gear-change-like thrill.
Even the steering wheel is a departure from the norm. Wrapped in leather, its slim, three-spoke design is both elegant and functional. The hub is attached to the gauge binnacle, which itself moves to match the driver’s preferred seating position. The gauge cluster is a marvel: two stacked OLED displays, with a physical needle sandwiched between them, creating a pseudo-tachometer effect. Layered screens and inventive cut-outs allow for real needles, clocks, and convex lenses to float at different visual depths. This design, made possible by thin OLED technology and Samsung’s display expertise, ensures critical information is always clear—even at speed.
The attention to detail extends to the most unexpected places. The key, for instance, features a yellow E Ink panel. When inserted into its magnetized receiver in the center console, the yellow dims, and a glow travels up to the top of the glass shifter—a poetic "transference of life," as described by Yahoo. In total, there are more than 40 pieces of Corning Gorilla Glass throughout the cockpit, from the shifter surround to the convex lenses in the gauge cluster. Ferrari assures that this glass is even more shatter- and scratch-resistant than the Gorilla Glass found on smartphones.
The center console is equally theatrical. Suede-covered lids open butterfly-style and close with a magnetic click, while the glass shifter—resembling a shot glass—slides smoothly through precision-machined gates. Although the console features USB connections, it’s not quite large enough for a standard iPhone. No worries though; a dedicated charging pad will be positioned ahead of the shifter in the final production model. The overhead console, meanwhile, adopts an airplane-inspired set of toggles and pull-outs to control lighting and launch functions.
The central control panel pivots and swivels, allowing drivers to customize its angle and position. The clock in the upper-right can morph into a stopwatch or compass, its needles swinging with mechanical precision. Even the seat rails are shaped and anodized to match the rest of the interior, a testament to the obsessive attention to detail that LoveFrom brought to the project.
For Jony Ive and Marc Newson, both avid car enthusiasts, the project was a labor of love. Newson reflected, "Jony and I share a really, really deep interest in automotive things and vehicles. Actually, I'd go so far as to say that that is probably a hobby of both of ours." The two were determined to bring back the tactile, mechanical feel that they feel modern cars have lost. "Modern cars are missing some things that we love about our old Ferraris," Ive lamented, highlighting the importance of physical connection in the driving experience.
Of course, navigating the automotive industry’s labyrinthine safety regulations was no small feat. "It's very hard," Ive admitted. "I've never worked in an area that's so regulated. Some of it's great, because you understand why, and people's safety is certainly important, but some of it drives you nuts." Still, both he and Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna praised the collaborative spirit that defined the project. "Benedetto is an amazing engineer," said Ive, "he's really interested in what can be learned more broadly."
The Luce’s interior, with its clinical precision and refined surfaces, may lack the rawness of classic Ferraris, but it’s undeniably fresh and exciting. As Yahoo observed, it’s the most innovative interior seen outside of ultra-rare machines like the $4 million Bugatti Tourbillon. Whether this new direction will resonate with Ferrari’s traditional clientele—or attract a new generation of EV enthusiasts—remains to be seen. That answer may have to wait until May, when the full exterior is finally unveiled and the world gets its first complete look at the Luce.
For now, Ferrari’s bold leap into the electric era, guided by some of the world’s most renowned designers, signals not just a new car, but a new chapter for one of motoring’s most storied names. And as Jony Ive put it, "At the end of a project, there are two products. There's what you've made, and there's what you've learned. Honestly, we've learned so much."