Ferrari earlier this week revealed the final stage of their three-step unveil of their brand new electric car, the Luce. It is the first electric vehicle to come out of the famous Maranello manufacturer, and it has caused quite a stir. It is such a different direction from what they have previously created, but this was supposedly by intention. The Luce has been priced at £474,320, which will make it one of the most expensive EVs on the market. I cannot possibly imagine the depreciation this car will suffer if it follows the same story as other electric vehicles have before it.

Unlike previous Ferrari designs which were done internally or with the Italian design consultancy Pininfarina, this was a first of its kind collaboration with Love From. Love From is the studio created by Jony Ive, who was the original designer of the renowned Apple iPhone, and Marc Newson. What makes this such an interesting choice for Ferrari is that both Ive and Newson are industrial designers rather than automotive designers. Newson does however have some previous experience in the automotive world, having designed the interesting looking Ford 021C back in 1999.

As an automotive designer, this car was genuinely something I did not have on my radar for Ferrari to produce. It is so bold in its proportions and such a departure from the low, sweeping, super-curved bodylines we have come to expect. The exterior has been split into two distinct sections, the glasshouse structure which covers the main passenger compartment, and the lower body which carries the colour choice for the car.

The exterior body is, as far as we know, the only part that can be coloured, and by design it is meant to be read as a completely separate piece from the glasshouse above it. Unlike any other production EV on the road so far, the Luce wears 23 and 24 inch wheels, which makes the vehicle look particularly bulky and larger than it perhaps is. If I were to look at improving the design to make it appear less heavy, I would have tried to bring the wheel size down in order to give the impression that the car sits lower to the ground, but of course, doing so comes at the cost of interior headroom if you also want it to look sleeker.

Before showing the exterior of the car to the world, Ferrari first revealed the interior design and key details. You can clearly see that Ive's time at Apple has had a real influence on the inside. The curves across different surfaces and the interfaces reflect a styling language you would very much associate with products from that brand. There are a lot of well-refined details throughout, but the one which caused the most conversation was the centre display, which can be rotated to face either the driver or the passenger. For me it very much resembles a hospital ECG machine in its appearance.

In the final stage of the reveal, where the exterior and interior were presented as a package, it really did start to come together, and you could appreciate how everything connects. You can also see that Ferrari's history was not completely abandoned in this design and that there are small but considered nods to historic models, such as door panels that carry the same styling language as the Testarossa, and a thin steering wheel reminiscent of the 250 GTO.

Ferrari's executive team has stated that this car will not be for everyone, which raises an interesting question. Who exactly is it for then?

There is a strong presumption that the Luce could be something Ferrari's most prestigious customers will be required to purchase in order to unlock or be given access to future special models, much like the SP3 Daytona and the F80 before it. There will certainly be some buyers of the first ever five-seater to come out of Maranello, but just how many remains uncertain. Luca di Montezemolo, best known as the former executive chairman of Ferrari and the man behind the LaFerrari, has publicly said that he hopes they remove the prancing horse from this car entirely.

For now, the Luce has been a real conversation starter. In a strange way it has made the Jaguar look amazing compared to it. But then again, when we first saw that bold pink British creation, many people had exactly the same reaction, and over time it began to win people over. Maybe the Luce will do the same.

BIO - Michael Atkins

Michael is an undergraduate student in Automotive & Transport Design at Coventry University with experience in both automotive and superyacht industries. He has previously completed work experience at Morgan Motor Company, developing two concept vehicles. He has also taken part in design challenges with MG Motors and Volvo cars. Alongside design, he has a strong interest in emerging vehicle technologies and the future of mobility.