Ferrari says it anticipated a strong response to the Ferrari Luce, but the company did not expect the level of criticism that followed the unveiling of its first all-electric model. Despite the widespread backlash, Ferrari global marketing boss Emanuele Carando said the intense public reaction reflects the passion people have for the brand.
Speaking with Edmunds, Carando said, “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.”
Ferrari Says the Response Was More Intense Than Expected
The Ferrari Luce was revealed a month ago and has generated significant criticism from both prospective customers and former Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo.
While Carando maintained a positive public stance, he acknowledged the scale of the reaction exceeded the company’s expectations.
“We were expecting a strong reaction, a very polarizing reaction, [but] we didn’t expect such a magnitude,” Carando said.
The Ferrari Luce is reported to start at $647,000.
Ferrari Defends the Luce’s Design
Carando also defended the vehicle’s design, which was led by LoveFrom.
He said Ferrari could have developed an electric version of the Purosangue but believed “that would not have been the right decision.” Instead, he described the Luce as “a spacious car with a very short front hood, which allows the driver to be very close to front axle, allowing you to have incredible precision in entering curves.”
Carando added that the Purosangue, Ferrari’s first utility vehicle, also faced negative reactions when it debuted, although he acknowledged “the magnitude was not the same.”
Ferrari Rejects Reports of EV Purchase Requirements
The discussion also addressed reports claiming Ferrari customers seeking future limited-production vehicles, such as the 12Cilindri Manuale, would need to purchase the Luce to improve their chances of receiving an allocation.
According to the report, former Ferrari Chief Marketing Officer Enrico Galliera had previously dismissed those claims before leaving the company last month.
Carando reiterated that position, saying Ferrari uses a “complex algorithm that, in a very objective way, prioritizes clients” when determining access to limited-run models.
Ferrari public relations head Alessandro Vaccari also rejected the reported claims.
“We never have a bundling strategy of ‘if you buy this, you get that’ … [but] we do count [and] take an algorithm of every interaction you have with the brand, and that gives us a fair way to put a client in the system and define top VIPs,” Vaccari said.
Ferrari Maintains Its Position on the Luce
Ferrari’s comments indicate the company recognizes the negative reception surrounding the Luce while continuing to defend the vehicle’s design philosophy and customer allocation process. Company executives maintain that the car’s distinctive styling was chosen to deliver specific driving characteristics rather than follow a more conventional approach.
