I was at the exclusive launch of Ferrari's new EV that sent the stock tumbling. But there may be light at the end of the tunnel
Ferrari unveiled the Ferrari Luce electric vehicle in the symbolic setting of the Vela di Calatrava, Città dello Sport in Rome in May, 2026. (Ferrari
Ferrari unveiled the Ferrari Luce electric vehicle in the symbolic setting of the Vela di Calatrava, Città dello Sport in Rome in May, 2026. (Ferrari S.p.a.) The launch that turned into a PR crisis for Ferrari started about six weeks ago when an invitation landed in my inbox to come to the unveiling of the Luce, its very first full electric car. The event was so controlled that security blocked our phone cameras to stop unauthorized pictures of the 550,000-euro EV, which so disappointed investors that the company's stock fell 8% the next day.
But the event was a reminder of how big a step the company was taking and how the car's real test will be when it comes to market. On Monday evening, I was whooshed alongside hundreds of guests in dark vans, escorted by police, to the Vela di Calatrava sports complex on the outskirts of Rome. Security stickered our phones and laptop cameras to cover the cameras and checked multiple times in case we had tampered with them.
All the secrecy and almost solemnity added to the anticipation of a launch that was five years in the making. Under what looked like the skeleton of a whale, elements of the car were on display under tamed lights: the platform, seats and other parts that had been previously presented, including those designed by former Apple chief design officer Jony Ive. Later on stage and under a sculptural piece by famous Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, family scion and Ferrari Chair John Elkann opened the presentation, followed by CEO Benedetto Vigna and other top managers.
A short video of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc having fun driving the new Luce, still a mystery to us at this point, added to the reveal build-up.
The BriefWire