Ferrari’s Controversial EV Likely To Advance Despite Launch Wobble

InnovationTransportationFerrari’s Controversial EV Likely To Advance Despite Launch WobbleByNeil Winton,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. U.K.-based Neil Winton covers the European Auto industry.Follow AuthorMay 27, 2026, 02:20pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Ferrari LuceFerrariWhen a new car’s design is said to be “divisive”, that means normal people hate it. Italian luxury sports car maker Ferrari , probably correctly, assumes that not many normal people have $650,000 available to buy its new Luce electric car, so success is likely despite the media’s “divisive” verdict.Investors didn’t like the initial vibes generated by the Luce either, as Ferrari unveiled its first electric vehicle on Tuesday. The shares lost up to 8% on the first day. The shares steadied on Wednesday, gaining 0.28% at €284.85, according to Reuters.Analysts thought the initial negativity was overdone, and that the Luce (“Light” in Italian) would probably go on to achieve traditional Ferrari profit margins. Negative reactions were not just from the media. “We risk destroying a legend, and I’m truly sorry about that. (the Luce was) certainly a car that at least the Chinese won’t copy,” said former Ferrari chair Luca di Montezemolo, according to Automotive News Europe. “I hope they at least remove the prancing horse from that car.”Ferrari’s famous logo features a prancing horse.MORE FOR YOUAnything but a Prancing HorseItalian Transport Minister Matteo Salvini said the Luce was “anything but a Prancing Horse car”, according to Reuters Breaking Views.Others said the Luce looked more like a mass-market Nissan Leaf, not a target purchase for the super-rich.Ferrari LuceFerrariRelatively unsuccessful competitors like Aston Martin and Volkswagen’s Lamborghini must have felt some justification. Aston Martin has delayed its first EV until at least 2030. Lamborgh...