Ferrari Luce – brand’s first EV gets a name; interior designed by ex-Apple Jony Ive shown ahead of debut

Ferrari’s first electric vehicle (EV) is set to debut this year, and after providing powertrain details in October last year, the Italian carmaker has now moved on to revealing the interior of what is described as an important addition to the Ferrari range.

The brand’s zero-emission car was previously referred to as the Elettrica, but it now has an official name: Luce. According to the company, the name translates to ‘light’ or ‘illumination’, which is apt given the Luce will light the way for the company takes its first steps into uncharted territory.

The reveal of the Luce’s interior was hosted San Francisco by Ferrari and LoveFrom, the latter being the company that was roped in to collaborate on the vehicle’s styling. Former Apple designer Jony Ive and Marc Newson founded LoveFrom in 2019, and the company has been working with Ferrari Centro Stile (led by Flavio Manzoni) for the best part of five years on the Luce.

What both parties came up with is a slightly retro-inspired interior that features three displays, with the first being ahead of the driver in the instrument binnacle. This features Samsung-sourced OLED panels and three circular cutouts that act as frames for a digital speedometer, a carousel of vehicle information menus (including a G-meter) as well as what looks to be an energy flow meter. If it seems a bit aviation-themed, that’s because it is, drawing on Veglia and Jaeger instruments from the 1950s and 60s.

Having the instrument cluster mounted on the steering column is a first for a range Ferrari, and the binnacle moves together with the steering wheel to ensure the driver has a consistent view of the instrumentation.

Since the steering wheel is mentioned, Ive said inspiration for the three-spoke design comes from iconic 1950s and 60s wooden Nardi wheel found in his own 250 Europa. Made with 100% recycled aluminium and CNC-machined parts, it weighs 400 grammes less than a standard Ferrari wheel.

The steering wheel gets two analogue control modules beneath its side spokes for things like drive modes (Range, Tour, Performance), ADAS, traction control, damper modes and wipers – the turn signal controls are on the spokes.

Next up is the central touchscreen, which is mounted on a ball-and-socket joint so it can be oriented towards either the driver or front passenger. The metal bar sticking out from underneath acts as a both a grab handle and palm rest for better ergonomics, and Ferrari breaks convention by having physical controls instead of integrating everything into touchscreen menus.

To make the central display more interesting, there’s also a multigraph that features a proprietary movement with three independent motors that move the anodised aluminium hands. These glide over a dial protected by Corning Gorilla Glass that can be placed into clock, chronograph, compass and launch control modes.

Further controls for things like the lights and defrosters are located on a panel directly above the central display, which also houses the map lights, emergency services button and a knob marked ‘Launch’.

As for the third display, it is located in the aft section of the centre console along with physical controls for climate settings. The console is minimalist in its design, with another control panel sandwiched between the front cupholders and an armrest.

This panel also gets its own party trick in the form of a key dock that, when the key is inserted, initiates a choreographed sequence where the key fob’s colour switches from yellow to black as it integrates with the glass surface of the central console. Enabling this theatrical “transfer of power from the key to the car” is an E Ink display developed specifically for the key fob.

The gear selector is fancy too, as it is made out of Corning Gorilla Glass using manufacturing processes that the company says “have never been incorporated into automotive interior design before.” “To achieve the level of precision required by Ferrari, lasers were used to make tiny holes in the glass half the width of a human hair to deposit the ink for the graphics with the perfect level of uniformity,” Ferrari explains in its release.

Showing off the Luce’s interior is part two of Ferrari’s multi-step reveal process, with the third and final one being the exterior that takes place in Italy in May. Based on what we have been told, the Luce will be a four-seater with four doors, the second such model in the range after the Purosangue.

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