Key Points:
- Italian luxury carmaker Ferrari unveiled its first fully electric car, the Luce, prompting widespread criticism over its radical design.
- Italy’s Deputy PM Matteo Salvini attacked the €550,000 ($598,000) vehicle, calling it an expensive aesthetic disappointment.
- Former Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo slammed the launch, reportedly saying he hopes the prancing horse logo is removed from the car.
- Ferrari’s stock plummeted by 8.4% in Milan trading, wiping out €4.6 billion ($5 billion) in corporate market value in a single day.
Italian luxury carmaker Ferrari has officially entered the zero-emission era with the launch of its first fully electric car, the Ferrari Luce. However, rather than uniting the brand’s passionate fanbase, the 2027 super sedan has triggered an absolute uproar across Italy. On Monday, May 25, 2026, the Maranello marque unveiled the vehicle in Rome, only to face immediate, severe criticism over its design and identity from purists, politicians, and former company executives. The controversial electric Ferrari has quickly become one of the most divisive vehicles in modern automotive history, prompting public outcries from high-ranking ministers who argue the vehicle betrays the brand’s long-standing racing heritage.
The most high-profile backlash came directly from Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Matteo Salvini. Taking to social media on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, Salvini attacked the project, calling the car “extremely expensive” and stating that its aesthetic “comments on itself.” He remarked that the vehicle looks like anything but a true Prancing Horse car, joining thousands of online critics who jokingly compared the vehicle’s minimalist, glassy shape to a standard family hatchback or a Nissan Leaf. Prominent Italian politician Carlo Calenda also condemned the design, calling the vehicle an “aesthetic and technological insult” to Ferrari’s heritage.
Adding to the political outrage, legendary former Ferrari chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo reportedly delivered the most devastating blow to the new launch. Montezemolo, who guided the brand through its most successful modern era, reportedly told close associates that he hoped someone would “remove the prancing horse” from the new car. For many traditionalist buyers and Italian collectors, the vehicle’s design represents an excessive, unwanted shift away from Maranello’s muscular, petrol-powered sports car DNA toward a sterile, consumer-tech aesthetic.
This critical backlash has already had severe financial consequences for the luxury automaker on the stock market. In Milan trading on Tuesday, Ferrari’s stock price plummeted by 8.4%, erasing an estimated €4.6 billion (approximately $5 billion) in corporate market value in a single day. The sharp stock drop reflects growing investor anxiety that the polarizing design could alienate Ferrari’s core customer base of ultra-wealthy, traditionalist collectors, who value the visceral, growling engine noise of classic twelve-cylinder combustion engines over quiet, electric performance.
Part of this design controversy stems from the vehicle’s unique, high-tech origins. To design its first-ever EV, Ferrari bypassed its own internal Design Studio, partnering instead with the independent industrial design firm LoveFrom. The firm is led by Sir Jony Ive, the legendary former Apple design chief behind the iconic shapes of the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, alongside Australian-born designer Marc Newson. Consequently, the Luce’s interior resembles a high-end consumer technology product, featuring a glass-clad passenger cell, precision-engineered aluminum buttons, and advanced OLED multifunctional displays developed in partnership with Samsung Display.
Despite the controversial design, the technical and engineering specifications of the Ferrari Luce are undeniably formidable. A four-motor drivetrain producing a spectacular 1036bhp (772kW) powers the heavy 2.26-tonne five-seater. This raw electric power propels the super sedan from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in under two seconds, matching the performance of modern hypercars. The vehicle boasts a 329-mile (over 500-kilometer) electric range and supports ultra-fast 350kW charging, while its aerodynamic design delivers the lowest drag coefficient of any road-going Ferrari in history.
To address the primary concern of electric vehicles—the lack of an emotional connection without a growling engine noise—Ferrari developed a highly specialized, proprietary haptic system. Protected by over 60 new patents, the system does not use fake, artificial engine noises played through speakers. Instead, the technology physically amplifies the natural electrical vibrations of the high-powered powertrain and channels them directly into the passenger cabin. Chief Executive Officer Benedetto Vigna explained that this tactile system allows the driver to feel the car’s power, preserving the brand’s essential tactile driving emotions.
Before the market drop and the public backlash, a high-level Ferrari delegation sought institutional and moral backing for the vehicle. On Monday morning, President John Elkann and CEO Vigna presented the physical Luce to Pope Leo XIV at Castel Gandolfo, offering the pontiff the car’s advanced steering wheel as a tribute. The delegation also presented the vehicle to Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale Palace. While the heads of state praised the technology’s contribution to environmental goals, analysts warn that the initial backlash and the 8.4% stock drop could trigger a 1.5% decline in Ferrari’s short-term operating profit margin if pre-orders stall.
As the shock of the launch settles, the controversy may force Ferrari to re-evaluate its long-term electrification roadmap. The carmaker has already quietly scaled back its previous electric ambitions. Under its updated 2030 strategy, fully electric vehicles will make up only 20% of its total lineup—down from a previous target of 40%—while the company continues to produce traditional internal combustion engines and hybrid models. While the €550,000 (which can easily exceed €700,000 with custom options) Luce may attract a younger, tech-focused generation of wealthy buyers, the massive stock drop and public backlash prove that moving the Prancing Horse into the electric era remains an incredibly risky, high-stakes gamble.
