Ferrari executive explains why he was 'very pleased' when people said they didn't like the Ferrari Luce EV

It’s been a few weeks but everyone is still talking about the Ferrari Luce, Ferrari’s first EV.

This is without doubt the most polarizing Ferrari ever made.

But, in Ferrari’s view, that’s actually a good thing.

One executive in particular said they are ‘pleased’ with the comments.

What Ferrari said about the reaction to the Luce

When Ferrari unveiled the Luce, its first-ever fully electric vehicle, the collective gasp from the automotive world was down to the styling, not the engine.

Penned in collaboration with LoveFrom – the same people who designed the first iPod – the Ferrari Luce is the brand’s first electric car, and arguably their most important test ever.

It has to perform well in three separate ways.

First, it has to sell out quickly; second, it has to depreciate naturally and not dramatically like other electric vehicles do; and third, it has to win buyers who would have otherwise never bought a Ferrari.

Apparently, that was actually the reason why its design is so different.

But we all read the comments online, we know how a lot of people – including execs from other brands – reacted.

But the brand’s executives remained unbothered because, according to Ferrari’s Global Marketing Director Emanuele Carando, it’s all free marketing.

In an interview with Edmunds, Carando, admitted that while the scale of the negative feedback caught them off guard, he was ultimately ‘very pleased’ with the reaction.

“Being a marketing director, I was very pleased,” Carando explained.

“Ferrari is such a loved marque that belongs to everybody, and everybody has a right to say something about it. Still, when you develop something new, the novelty scares everybody.”

The Purosangue precedent

Carando pointed out that the release of the Purosangue SUV four years ago triggered similar cries of ‘Enzo Ferrari rolling in his grave’ before becoming one of the brand’s most highly sought-after models.

“This has happened before. Remember when we launched the Purosangue four years ago? The magnitude was not the same, but we had many comments about Enzo rolling in the grave. I think probably now the Purosangue is one of the most loved cars worldwide,” he added.

Carando also defended the Luce’s highly debated, short-nosed silhouette by highlighting the mechanical advantages of its bespoke, electric-only architecture.

While the Italian automaker could have easily stuffed a battery pack into a Purosangue body, Carando insisted that would have been a compromise.

The Ferrari Luce has only been around for a few weeks, so time will tell.