Luce: Ferrari's ingenious electric revolution

Weather - Berlin 8°C

Luce: Ferrari's ingenious electric revolution

AUTOMOTIVE 22.02.2026

Luce: Ferrari's ingenious electric revolution

Rome is set to be the scene of a milestone that could hardly be more significant for Ferrari: on 25 May 2026, the manufacturer plans to present its first fully electric production Ferrari to the public. The name of the model has already been decided – ‘Luce’, Italian for ‘light’. And it says it all: not as a departure from tradition, but as a deliberate starting point for a future in which performance, emotion and electrification come together. Ferrari is not just talking about a new type of drive system – but about a new chapter in the brand's identity.

Three phases until the world premiere – and a deliberately built-up suspense arc
Ferrari has designed the launch of the Luce not as a classic ‘curtain up’ moment, but as a multi-stage unveiling. After the early technical visualisation of key components, the next, strongly design-driven stage followed in early 2026: the name and interior were revealed in advance, without revealing the complete exterior. This dramaturgy is no coincidence. It signals that Ferrari does not want the Luce to be seen as merely an ‘electric model’, but rather as the start of a separate segment within its own model range – with its own character, its own design language and a clear message: electrification is not an end in itself here, but a tool for new possibilities.

Change text size:

What is certain so far: performance beyond the 1,000 hp mark – and everyday usability as the goal
Although Ferrari is traditionally cautious about final data, several key technical details are now known that clearly define the Luce's aspirations. It will have over 1,000 hp as its peak output (depending on the operating mode), combined with acceleration that is at home in the supercar segment: 0–100 km/h in around 2.5 seconds is considered a benchmark. Added to this is a WLTP range of around 530 kilometres – a figure that clearly shows that Ferrari is positioning the Luce not just as a short-range ‘show car’, but as a high-performance vehicle with serious travelling range.

A high-voltage architecture is designed to ensure charging performance: fast charging up to 350 kW is mentioned – a level that puts the Luce in the front row of modern performance electric cars. The focus is therefore not only on maximum values on the racetrack, but also on a point that is increasingly crucial for demanding customers: time. Those who travel long distances expect not only range, but also short charging windows – and this is precisely where Ferrari clearly wants to be on a par with the best.

Four electric motors, new driving dynamics logic – and Ferrari's trademark precision
Technically, there are many indications that Ferrari is opting for a four-motor configuration for the Luce – i.e. one electric motor per wheel. This is much more than ‘four-wheel drive’ in the classic sense: it enables extremely fine torque distribution (torque vectoring), new stability strategies and driving dynamics that are no longer tied to mechanical couplings. In addition, modern systems such as rear-axle steering and a sophisticated chassis concept are mentioned, which should be able to control body movements very actively.

The goal behind this is clear: Ferrari wants to prevent ‘electric’ from feeling like weight and inertia. Instead, the Luce is intended to deliver what fans have associated with the name for decades: immediate response, razor-sharp precision and a balance that is convincing not only at high speeds, but right from the first steering angle.

The sound: Not a theatrical backdrop, but a ‘real’ signature
One of the most emotional topics surrounding electric sports cars is the sound. Ferrari has clearly taken a clear direction here: instead of artificial ‘combustion engine staging’, a system is to be used that utilises and amplifies real vibrations from the powertrain. The idea: the Luce should not pretend to have cylinders – it should be recognisable as an electric Ferrari, but still have an acoustic identity typical of the brand. This is a delicate balancing act, because sound is not decoration at Ferrari, but part of the driver's connection to the car. That is precisely why this solution seems like an attempt to put authenticity above effects.

An interior like a manifesto: Retro, tactile, deliberately bucking the touchscreen trend
Even before the exterior is fully revealed, one thing is clear: the interior is a statement. Instead of huge screens, the design focuses on tactile controls – with classic buttons, switches and instruments that deliberately evoke mechanical logic. This ‘retro in high-tech guise’ is already polarising public opinion, but that is precisely what makes it so typical of Ferrari: not to everyone's taste – but clearly recognisable.

Central to this is the philosophy that a sports car does not have to function like a smartphone. Many functions should remain operable blindly, without having to navigate through nested menus. This is complemented by a digital display set-up that apparently does not primarily aim to be ‘bigger’, but rather clearer and more focused. The steering wheel also picks up on this theme: a three-spoke aesthetic that combines historical charm with modern ergonomics.

It is also interesting to note that the designer responsible is said to have publicly admitted to being ‘nervous’ about the scope of the project – a rare open signal of how much pressure there is to strike the right note here.

Design collaboration with LoveFrom: Maranello meets Silicon Valley – without losing Ferrari
Another very noteworthy point is the design partnership: The interior of the Luce was not developed exclusively within the classic Ferrari design universe, but in collaboration with LoveFrom, the creative collective led by Jony Ive and Marc Newson. Ferrari is thus deliberately bringing external perspectives on board – not to ‘alienate’ the brand, but to integrate new product logic: reduction, clarity, interaction design. At the same time, the Luce should remain clearly recognisable as a Ferrari. This is precisely where the challenge lies: minimalism without sterile arbitrariness; innovation without breaking with tradition.

Body and concept: Four-door, new proportions – and a segment that Ferrari has not yet had
Ferrari is keeping the suspense high when it comes to the exterior design. However, one thing is certain: the Luce will be a four-door model. Prototypes and the current classification point to a body that leans more towards a crossover/GT than a classic, flat two-seater – without Ferrari having to use the word ‘SUV’. The Luce is thus intended to be not only ‘the first electric Ferrari,’ but also a vehicle that covers new usage profiles: more everyday use, more space, more versatility – with Ferrari's typical performance standards.

Price and positioning: Luxury frontier – and deliberately exclusive
Official prices have yet to be announced. However, figures in the region of half a million euros are being discussed in the industry – depending on equipment and customisation. And this is precisely where Ferrari is likely to start: the Luce will not be defined by volume, but by exclusivity, personalisation and technical independence. Particularly important: Ferrari has also made it clear that customers – especially collectors – should not be ‘pressured’ to buy electric models in order to continue to have access to special editions. This is a reassuring signal to a clientele that not only drives tradition, but also considers it an investment.

Significance for Ferrari: Electric – but not uniform
The Luce also stands for a strategic message: Ferrari continues to pursue a multi-energy course. Electric is a new chapter, but not the only one. This leaves room for different drive systems – and for the possibility of generating emotion in multiple ways. The Luce is the door opener in this picture: it must prove that the essence of Ferrari is not tied to the combustion engine, but to driving experience, response, design integrity and character.

25 May 2026 as the moment of truth – and what comes after
The Luce is set to be fully unveiled in Rome on 25 May 2026. Shortly afterwards – according to the announcement – orders will be possible. By then at the latest, it will be clear whether Ferrari's approach is working: an electric car that doesn't try to look ‘like it used to’, but ‘like a Ferrari – only electric’. If the Luce delivers on this promise, a new era will indeed begin: not as a departure from the past, but as a redefinition of what makes a Ferrari what it is at its core.

Featured

Genesis GV60 Magma before launch

The new Genesis GV60 Magma is a model that means much more to the brand than just another particularly powerful version of an existing electric car. The car represents a strategic change of direction. Genesis no longer wants to define itself solely through design, material quality and quiet luxury, but also through its own credible form of high performance. That's exactly why the GV60 Magma is so important: it's not just any sporty derivative, but the first production vehicle in the new Magma world – and thus concrete proof that an idea is now becoming a real product.The timing is well chosen. The regular GV60 has recently undergone noticeable technical and visual enhancements, the brand has visibly sharpened its electric expertise, and at the same time, pressure is growing in the premium segment to more closely link performance, digitalisation and brand character. Many manufacturers today can build fast-accelerating electric cars. The real question is no longer just how much power a vehicle offers, but how this power is staged, dosed and translated into a credible overall picture. This is precisely where Genesis is trying to make its mark with the GV60 Magma.Even at first glance, it is clear that the Magma is not just a cosmetically enhanced GV60. The car appears wider, lower and significantly more taut. The proportions seem more compact, the body sits more solidly on the road, and the add-on parts are not merely decorative, but designed for downforce, cooling and high-speed stability. The front end, side skirts, rear spoiler and air ducts visibly follow a functional logic. Added to this are forged 21-inch wheels, wide tyres and an overall appearance that focuses less on striking aggression and more on controlled presence. This is precisely one of the most interesting features of this vehicle: Genesis is attempting to define sportiness not through visual exaggeration, but through excitement, attitude and technical credibility.The GV60 Magma also goes a clear step beyond the previous GV60 range in terms of drive technology. Two electric motors and all-wheel drive form the technical basis. A very high level of performance is already available as standard, and in boost mode, the system performance increases significantly once again. Genesis is thus positioning the Magma at the top of its electrified model range. Added to this is a top speed that stands out in this class, as well as a 0-200 km/h time that clearly shows that this is not just the usual electric sprint from a standing start, but real performance beyond the first few metres. This is an important difference: many electric cars feel spectacular at first, but lose their punch as speed increases. The GV60 Magma is designed to close this gap.It is noteworthy that Genesis does not present the car as an uncompromising race track machine despite its performance orientation. Instead, the focus is on a synthesis of power, control and premium comfort. The battery is generously sized at 84 kWh, the fast-charging capability remains high, and the official range also shows that the vehicle does not sacrifice everyday usability for mere effect. The GV60 Magma therefore aims not only to impress, but also to remain usable. This is crucial for its future market role.A model like this has to meet two expectations at the same time: it should be emotionally charged, but at the same time not seem exhausting in everyday use. It is precisely this balancing act that Genesis has made its core message.A look beneath the surface shows that the Magma is not just a show car exercise. The chassis, geometry and roll centre have been specifically revised, and electronic damper systems, special control strategies and a braking system tuned to the increased performance level have been added. Equally important is the temperature control of the battery system. Anyone who takes high-performance electric cars seriously knows that raw peak values alone mean little if thermal management, reproducibility and stability cannot keep up. Genesis addresses precisely these points with its own high-performance battery management system. This is an indication that the GV60 Magma is not only designed for spectacular acceleration manoeuvres, but also for repeatable performance under load.The interior is particularly interesting because it encapsulates the actual philosophy of the vehicle. Genesis does not compromise on luxury – on the contrary. High-quality surfaces, a deliberately calm interior, special seats, exclusive material combinations and the brand's characteristic attention to detail remain intact. At the same time, a new, more performance-oriented operating logic has been introduced. A special Magma mode changes the instrument display, bringing important driving data to the fore, while the head-up display focuses more on driving-related information. Added to this are virtual gear changes, specific soundscapes, launch control, drift function and various driving programmes designed to noticeably change the character of the vehicle. This is interesting from both a technological and cultural perspective, because Genesis is bringing two worlds together here: the classic premium idea of calm and sovereignty on the one hand, and the digitally supported performance experience that has been reinvented in the electric age on the other.It is precisely this combination that is likely to distinguish the GV60 Magma from other high-performance electric cars on the market. While some competitors focus on maximum toughness, aggressive communication and the most spectacular driving dynamics possible, Genesis is clearly opting for a more refined interpretation. The driver should feel fast, but not overwhelmed. The car should make its reserves felt without constantly proclaiming how serious it is about them. This approach is anything but insignificant. It could become the actual identity of the model – and, in the long term, the calling card of an entire Magma family.The development programme also shows how seriously Genesis takes this claim. The GV60 Magma was not left in the protected space of a design study, but was put through a broad-based test programme. Winter testing, heat, high altitude, real roads, racetracks and fine-tuning in the home market – all this is part of the preparation. Added to this is the early public demonstration of the concept car in Goodwood, where the Magma gained attention as a serious performance project even before series production began. This is important for the brand's image. Genesis presents high performance not as an afterthought, but as something that has been systematically developed.What the GV60 Magma heralds for the coming years is also exciting. The Magma idea is bigger than this one car. Genesis sees it as a long-term programme and a testing ground for future performance models. The GV60 is a logical starting point for this: it is compact enough for agility, modern enough for a consistently digital interpretation of performance, and emotional enough to bring new substance to the brand. In this sense, the GV60 Magma is a production vehicle – and at the same time a manifesto. It shows how Genesis wants to see its future: electric, fast, luxurious and technically independent.

Speed cameras: Brazen rip-off or necessary?

Germany is once again engaged in increasingly heated debate on an issue that has long since become much more than a mere traffic matter: have speed cameras actually become a convenient source of revenue for cash-strapped towns and municipalities, or are they a necessary means of protecting lives on Germany's roads? The outrage felt by many motorists is not without reason. When you see local authorities raking in millions from speeding and red light violations while at the same time complaining about austerity measures, deficits and budget shortfalls, you quickly get the impression that this is not just about monitoring, but above all about collecting money. It is precisely this suspicion that has further fuelled the debate in recent months.In fact, the sums speak for themselves. In a recent evaluation of major German cities, numerous local authorities once again generated millions in revenue from traffic monitoring. It is particularly striking that it is not just a few outliers reporting high amounts, but that a permanently lucrative level of revenue has become established in many cities. This is politically sensitive because, although fines are justified on regulatory grounds, many citizens perceive them as a fixed component of municipal financial planning. Mistrust grows even stronger in cities that like to refer to safety but at the same time do not make a clear distinction between prevention and revenue generation.Hamburg in particular is a prime example of this tension. The figures currently available there show the scale that traffic monitoring has now reached. In 2024 alone, stationary and mobile speed monitoring generated almost £47 million in revenue. By far the largest share came from mobile controls, while stationary systems generated significantly less, but still tens of millions. In addition, there was revenue from stationary red light monitoring. Even in the following year, the city remained at a very high level: speeding offences alone again generated more than 40 million euros. Anyone who reads such figures immediately understands why the term ‘rip-off’ is no longer a polemical exaggeration for many people, but a perceived finding.There is a second point that exacerbates the criticism: in many cities, these revenues are not earmarked for improving road safety, but rather flow into the general budget. This is not surprising from a legal perspective, but it is politically explosive. Anyone who expects money from speed cameras to be automatically invested in safe routes to school, intersection renovations, better lighting, cycle paths or accident prevention is often mistaken. This creates a fatal image for citizens: the local authority measures, collects and records – but whether the revenue is visibly returned to dangerous traffic spots often remains unclear. Where transparency is lacking, suspicion grows that a legitimate safety instrument has gradually become a fiscal business model.The situation becomes particularly explosive when the financial side effect is no longer just tacitly accepted, but openly discussed in consolidation debates. A current case from Halle an der Saale illustrates this problem precisely. There, the budget consolidation concept is to include additional revenue from traffic monitoring. Last year, the revenue there was already in the millions, and now further amounts are to be added. At the same time, it is officially emphasised that the primary objective remains traffic safety. It is precisely this double message that is at the heart of the problem: as soon as a city promises more safety on the one hand, but openly expects higher revenues on the other, every new measuring system becomes politically explosive.

Germany: Electric car boom remains fragile

The German market for electric cars is showing signs of life again. After the setback caused by the abrupt end of subsidies at the end of 2023, new registrations are now rising noticeably again. At first glance, this looks like the belated return of the upswing. At second glance, however, a much more complicated picture emerges: Government support is once again in the billions, the expansion of the charging infrastructure is progressing, tax advantages remain in place – and yet many buyers, especially in the private market, continue to react with remarkable caution.This is what makes the current figures so contradictory. Pure electric cars are on the rise again in terms of new registrations, but there is no sign of a broad wave of purchases. The market is growing, but not with the momentum that might be expected after years of political prioritisation, new purchase incentives and infrastructure programmes worth billions. This is precisely the core problem of German e-mobility: it is making progress, but it is not yet convincing across the board.It is true that significantly more battery electric vehicles have recently been registered. In 2025 as a whole, Germany once again proved to be an important growth driver within Europe. At the same time, the share of purely electric cars in all new registrations remains at a level that looks more like stabilisation than a breakthrough. It is also striking that the overall market is growing only moderately and that the commercial sector continues to dominate the new car business. Where company cars, fleet vehicles and tax-privileged company cars are strong, the figures often appear more dynamic than private demand actually is.This is precisely why industry observers are now looking less at the pure number of new registrations and more at the question of who is actually buying. And here, the situation is much more sobering. In the private sector, there is still a great deal of reluctance. Many households are postponing the switch, driving their combustion engines for longer or opting for petrol, diesel or a hybrid again when buying their next vehicle. This means that mass acceptance in the everyday market has not yet been achieved.

Germany: Fuel rage and the 2026 election year

The war in Iran and the escalation in the Gulf region are no longer just foreign policy news from afar for Germany. They are having a major impact on people's everyday lives – and in the place where many feel the economic reality most directly: at the petrol pump. As soon as production volumes, transport routes and security situations in the Middle East start to slide, the price of oil jumps, traders factor in risk premiums, and ultimately the geopolitical turmoil ends up in motorists' wallets. That is exactly what is happening at the moment. What is a strategic crisis for governments, stock exchanges and commodity markets becomes a very real cost burden for commuters, families, tradespeople, delivery services and small businesses within hours.What is particularly explosive is not only the size of the price increases, but also their speed. Just a few days ago, fuel prices in Germany were already high enough for many people. But then a new dynamic set in: within a very short time, petrol and diesel prices shot up, with diesel even exceeding the two-pound-per-litre mark at times and, in some phases, exceeding the price of petrol. This picture alone reveals the nervousness of the market. Because when diesel – despite lower energy taxes – suddenly becomes more expensive than Super E10, it shows how strongly crisis fears, expectations of shortages and market mechanisms are influencing pricing.For millions of people, this is not a theoretical debate. Those who live in rural areas, work shifts, care for relatives, drive to construction sites, deliver goods or work in the field cannot replace mobility with Sunday speeches. In many regions of Germany, the car is not a convenient additional option, but a prerequisite for work, supplies and everyday life. If the price per litre rises by double-digit cents in a few days, this not only eats into purchasing power, but also directly impacts monthly budgets that are already under pressure. Those who have to fill up three times a week feel the difference not in abstract terms, but as a real additional burden. And those who drive commercially will sooner or later pass on these costs – to customers, to consumers, to the entire price chain.

Change text size:

Deutsche Tageszeitung - Luce: Ferrari's ingenious electric revolution