By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-08-04 14:16:09 | Updated at 2026-08-05 08:14:20
19 hours ago
Unless you've been living under a rock for the last couple of months, you'll be well aware that Ferrari recently unveiled its first electric car... and it was met with widespread criticism.
The backlash to the £500,000 Luce, revealed on May 25, has been seismic, drawing comparisons with the public outrage sparked by Jaguar's 'woke' rebrand in 2024.
The Sir Jony Ive-designed sports car has divided opinion, not least because the four-door electric saloon is a radical departure from the low-slung, sharp-edged supercars for which the Italian marque is renowned.
Yet despite the social media storm that followed its unveiling – as well as the subsequent departure of Ferrari's long-serving marketing boss – the firm says it has already secured enough orders to meet this year's sales target.
This is believed to be just under 500 global units.
Presenting Ferrari's second-quarter results last week, chief executive Benedetto Vigna said the company is 'very pleased with how orders are proceeding'.
He said demand is 'in line with our expectations', with reports suggesting China has generated the highest volume of pre-sales.
Ferrari's boss claims the controversial Luce EV has already hit this year's sales target despite the immense criticism levelled at the Italian marque's first electric car
'Clients who place orders are both existing and new customers, and this too is in line with our expectations,' he told reporters on Thursday, adding that the Luce had not altered Ferrari's long-term EV strategy.
'When clients see the car, they're really enthusiastic and happy,' Vigna said, dismissing suggestions that Ferrari was resorting to aggressive marketing tactics or pressuring loyal customers to place orders.
'It's a product they have to buy if they love it, if they have a genuine interest in it,' he added.
The Financial Times said the majority of the orders already placed are from customers in China, with the newspaper citing people familiar with the matter.
In fact, appetite in China is so strong that reports suggest customer orders have moved into 2027 production schedules.
However, Vigna insisted demand for the controversial battery-electric model has been spread evenly across global markets.
'Of course, some countries might be more accustomed to EVs, but we're not seeing a specific pattern,' he said.
Presenting Ferrari's second-quarter results last week, chief executive Benedetto Vigna said the company is 'very pleased with how orders are proceeding'
The backlash to the £500,000 Luce, revealed on May 25, has been seismic, drawing comparisons with the public outrage sparked by Jaguar's 'woke' rebrand in 2024
Luce's retro-inspired interior - which was heavily influenced by Sir Jony Ive, the former Apple design exec who create the first iPhone - will likely influence the cockpits of future models
The Luce produces 1,000hp and can sprint from 0 to 60mph in just 2.5 seconds thanks to four electric motors, one powering each wheel.
It has a top speed of 193mph.
Ferrari says it can travel more than 329 miles on a full charge, while its retro-inspired interior – which was heavily influenced by Ive, the man who created the first iPhone – will likely influence the cockpits of future models.
The company also claims all key components are produced in-house, allowing it to support and repair the vehicle long into the future and helping to protect residual values.
According to previous Daily Mail reports, the Pope enjoyed the world's first test-drive, having been given exclusive early access to the zero-emissions Ferrari ahead of its official unveiling.
But as impressive as the Luce's claims may be, Ferrari's first EV was ruthlessly mocked online within moments of the covers coming off in May.
Luca di Montezemolo, who served as Ferrari chairman from 1991 to 2014, has been incredibly critical of the Luce
Digitally altered images of the new car made their rounds on X, with some pictured depicting the EV as a vacuum cleaner
Another referenced a comedy TV series The Simpsons where an episode showed a badly built car being designed
Even the company's former chairman publicly criticised the model within hours of its unveiling.
Luca di Montezemolo, who served as Ferrari chairman from 1991 to 2014, told Italian media: 'If I had to say what I really think, I would be hurting Ferrari. This is surely a car that at least the Chinese won't copy from us.'
Yet some of the reactions on social media were even more brutal.
AI-generated images of the Luce quickly circulated on X after its reveal. Some depicted the EV as a vacuum cleaner, while others compared it to the infamous Homer car from The Simpsons.
