Ferrari’s divisive new EV car needs to be ‘digested’, company exec says

MILAN, June 25 (Reuters) – Ferrari’s first-ever EV model, which has triggered a flurry of criticism since its unveiling last month, needs to be “digested” before it can be ​understood, the company’s Chief Product Development Officer Gianmaria Fulgenzi said ‌on Thursday.

The €550,000 ($626,000) Luce is a four-door, five-seat family car which has baffled fans and commentators alike, as it looks nothing like the Italian marque’s usual fare of low-slung, ​petrol-powered sports cars.

Its styling, largely the work of former Apple designers ​Jony Ive and Marc Newson, has provoked endless unflattering memes on social ⁠media, including some that compared it to a vacuum cleaner.

“A car ​like this needs to be seen – and seen a lot – it needs to ​be digested, right? Otherwise your mind rejects certain solutions, it shuts them out,” Fulgenzi said on the sidelines of a tech event in Milan organised by Siemens.

Ferrari has shrugged ​off the criticism of its latest offering, insisting that customer interest is strong, ​and denying reports that it is forcing top clients to buy the Luce to ‌qualify ⁠for the purchase of other limited-edition models.

The car’s unconventional appearance, largely dictated by aerodynamic requirements, may lead some people to think it is not a real Ferrari, Fulgenzi conceded, “but that’s not true, it’s a different kind of Ferrari,” ​he said.

Its bodyshell “is ​the most complex ⁠in our range,” he added.

The Luce has four electric motors with a total of 1,050 horsepower, and is capable ​of reaching a top speed of 310 kilometres per ​hour, accelerating ⁠from 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) in just 2.5 seconds.

“When you get inside, you feel a certain kind of emotion, and when you drive it you ⁠realize ​you’ve come back home, because those driving ​sensations that you get with other (Ferrari) cars you also get them with this one,” Fulgenzi said.

($1 = ​0.8787 euros)