The latest pony from Maranello Italy is not as radical of an idea as you might first think (even if it isn’t red…)
One of the (slightly) off-point categories of stories that we cover here at The Fusion Report is electric vehicles (EVs), and not just because cars are fun to write about (in case you were wondering, they are!). It is simply because cars (and to a larger extent, all road vehicles) are major consumers of energy resources on this planet. The global transportation sector (including all road vehicles, planes, trains and ships) today consumes 30% of the world’s total energy, with about three quarters of that utilized in vehicles that run on roads. Of that amount, between half and two-thirds of it is utilized by private cars and light duty vans, consuming 15% to 18% of global total final energy consumption. And because today over 95% of private cars and light duty vans run on gasoline, those vehicles account for more than 25% of global oil use (though the shift to EVs is reducing this percentage). Just as important is the emotional value that private cars represent: a way for everyday people to get around from one place to another. Whether in the US, Europe, Japan, China, or emerging economies, cars have a unique place in our heart (maybe second only to pets, and even that is debatable 😊).
The Ferrari Luce: Not Exactly the Most Eye-Turning Ferrari Ever
Ferrari has historically been known for turning out incredibly beautiful vehicles, perhaps second only to McLaren, or maybe Aston Martin (and we agree that this is entirely subjective!). Like the Testarossa (you will remember it from Miami Vice), the 328/348, the Enzo, or today’s hybrid F80, Ferrari has been known for building cars that look like they’re going fast even when they’re standing still. That said, Ferrari has had its share of questionable beauties as well; even Ferrari lovers have problems with cars like the Mondial (1980-1993), the 612 Scaglietti (2004), or the FF (2011-2016), though over time even these Ferraris will likely become highly valued by collectors. And just so you think I am objective (to the extent you can be objective with cars), Maserati (probably my favorite brand) has had more than its share of questionable-looking cars as well. For that matter, Porsche (which correctly puts building fast cars well-ahead of building good-looking cars) has more vehicles than not with at best questionable profiles (and I am absolutely not saying I would turn down a Porsche in my garage!).
Which brings us to the Ferrari Luce, a $640K car that can best be described as looking like something straight out of one of the design studios in Seoul or Beijing (it was actually designed by Apple’s former design chief Jony Ive, like you would want to drive an iPhone). This latest Ferrari seems to be following the trend of questionable to even ugly car EVs being brought to market (does anyone remember Jaguar’s EV concept car?). With that said, it would be unfair to put the EVs of all automakers into those categories. Mercedes has built a number of very good looking EVs, as have Audi, Lotus (the killer-looking Evija), and several other companies. A number of auto manufacturers (Maserati and Porsche included) have built EV versions of their internal combustion engine (ICE) cars without changing their signature look or performance.
Which brings us to the Ferrari Luce’s performance. The five-seater sedan (seldom a category that leads the world in looks) has fairly impressive performance numbers with a top speed of near 200 miles an hour and a 0-60 mph time of 2.5 seconds. With the quad-motor set up, the Luce produces 1,035 horsepower, and a very respectable range of 329 miles (530 kilometers) on a full charge. The interior looks very much like a lot of other EVs with large displays, but it has real switches and knobs, a feature that will make most car enthusiasts happy. From a weight standpoint, it is not a light vehicle at almost 5,000 pounds, but with torque vectoring across the front and rear axles, it is probably not performance-handicapped by its healthy curb weight.
Comparing The Ferrari Luce To Other EV Offerings
Just to make it clear, the Luce is not even close to the highest performing EV out there; that title is held by the Yangwang U9 Xtreme, with a top speed of 308.4 miles per hour that even bests the fastest ICE vehicle (the Bugatti Chiron at 304.7 mph). Even changing the competition to EV sedans, the Ferrari Luce is still not the best performing, though it does very well. For EV sedan performance, the title is currently held by the Porsche Taycan, a 1,100 horsepower EV that holds the 4-door lap record at the Nürburgring. For straight line speed, the two best EV sedans are the Tesla Model S Plaid (0-60 mph in 2.0 seconds, but which is no longer available), and the Lucid Air Sapphire, a 1,234 HP sedan which sprints from 0-60 mph in 2.26 seconds and has a top speed of 205 mph. Needless to say, both are less than the Ferrari Luce’s price of $640K, but if you have to have an EV and you have to have a Ferrari, the Luce is your only choice, at least today…
