Ferrari’s Most Controversial Car in Years
Ferrari’s first fully electric automobile was always going to provoke an emotional response. The company built its reputation around dramatic engines, mechanical sound and low-slung sports cars, yet the new Ferrari Luce is a four-door, five-seat electric family car with expansive glass, restrained bodywork and styling developed with help from former Apple design chief Jony Ive and Marc Newson. It is not simply a battery-powered replacement for a familiar Ferrari. It represents a deliberate attempt to redefine what a Ferrari can be.
That experiment has not received a universally warm welcome. The Luce’s minimalist design has inspired widespread criticism, unflattering memes and comparisons to ordinary sedans, appliances and concept cars from less prestigious brands. Investors also appeared unsettled, with Ferrari shares falling sharply following the car’s unveiling. The reaction is especially notable because Ferrari normally exerts extraordinary control over its image, production volume and customer demand.
The specifications are less controversial. Ferrari says the approximately €550,000 Luce uses four electric motors producing more than 1,000 horsepower, can accelerate from zero to 62 mph in about 2.5 seconds and reach more than 192 mph. Its estimated range exceeds 310 miles, and deliveries are expected to begin late in 2026. On paper, it has the performance required of a modern Ferrari. The harder question is whether speed alone can make a quiet, heavy, five-seat EV feel emotionally authentic to the brand.
A Leadership Change at an Awkward Moment
Just weeks after the Luce’s public debut, Ferrari announced that Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer Enrico Galliera would leave the company after more than 16 years. Galliera was not a minor executive. He helped manage Ferrari’s sales strategy, customer relationships and carefully protected exclusivity during a period in which the company expanded deliveries, increased revenue and strengthened its position as one of the world’s most valuable luxury brands.
Ferrari named former BMW Italy president and CEO Massimiliano Di Silvestre as Galliera’s replacement, effective July 1. Di Silvestre brings decades of experience in premium automobiles, international sales and business transformation—credentials that could prove useful as Ferrari attempts to attract a new generation of customers without weakening its traditional identity. He will join Ferrari’s leadership team and report directly to CEO Benedetto Vigna.
Several headlines have described Galliera as being fired or removed because of the Luce backlash, but that connection has not been confirmed. Ferrari says he decided some time ago to begin a new professional chapter and remained long enough to help complete the EV’s launch. That explanation is plausible, particularly because executive transitions of this size are rarely organized in a matter of weeks. Still, replacing the executive responsible for marketing immediately after one of Ferrari’s most divisive launches creates a connection that the company may find difficult to escape.
The Luce Is Testing More Than Ferrari’s EV Strategy
The Luce is not merely another new model. It is a test of how far Ferrari can stretch its identity. The company has already expanded beyond traditional two-seat sports cars with hybrids and the four-door Purosangue, but the Luce removes the combustion engine entirely while adopting a shape and purpose unlike anything previously sold with the Prancing Horse badge. Ferrari is betting that younger, technology-focused buyers may value innovation differently than customers raised on V8s and V12s.
Ferrari insists interest remains strong, and the company has denied reports that customers are being pressured to buy a Luce to gain access to limited-production models. Product development chief Gianmaria Fulgenzi has argued that the car needs time to be “digested,” suggesting its unfamiliar appearance may become more acceptable after repeated exposure. History offers examples of controversial cars that eventually became admired, but Ferrari is also entering an uncertain luxury-EV market as several competing manufacturers delay or reduce their electric plans.
Galliera’s departure does not prove that Ferrari considers the Luce a failure. The car has not yet reached customers, and its commercial performance will not be clear until Ferrari begins disclosing orders and deliveries. Nevertheless, the leadership change reinforces how much is riding on this unusual automobile. Ferrari is not only asking customers to accept its first EV; it is asking them to reconsider the qualities that make a Ferrari desirable. Whether the Luce becomes a bold turning point or a costly miscalculation may determine how the company markets itself for decades to come. Is Enzo Ferrari rolling in his grave?
