When Ferrari revealed its first fully electric model, the Luce, the reaction was immediate—and intense. Fans weren’t shy about voicing their disappointment, criticising everything from its proportions to its design. Yet, surprisingly, Ferrari isn’t concerned. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
According to global marketing boss Emanuele Carando, the backlash was expected. Strong opinions were inevitable. What caught Maranello off guard, however, was the sheer scale of the reaction. But instead of seeing it as a problem, Ferrari views it as something valuable: advertisement.
Carando says, “Being a marketing director, I was very pleased. Ferrari is such a loved marque that belongs to everybody, and everybody has a right to say something about it. Still, whenever you develop something new, the novelty scares everybody.”
In today’s world, visibility matters. And the Luce has generated plenty of it—arguably more than any traditional launch campaign could achieve. Carando even points to the initial reception of the Ferrari Purosangue as proof. When it debuted, critics claimed it betrayed Ferrari’s heritage. Fast forward a few years, and it’s now one of the brand’s most celebrated models.
“This has happened before… remember when we launched the Purosangue four years ago? The magnitude was not the same, but we had many comments about Enzo Ferrari rolling in the grave. I think probably now the Purosangue is one of the most loved cars worldwide.”
The Luce’s controversial styling, developed with design firm LoveFrom, stems from its clean-sheet EV architecture. Ferrari insists this approach was necessary. Simply electrifying an existing model wouldn’t have delivered the same driving experience.
Source: Edmunds
