Ferrari Luce is the real test for electric luxury cars

The years go by, yet high-performance electric luxury cars continue to face a problem that appears to have no solution: a lack of demand.

Despite delivering astonishing performance, almost every customer in this segment still wants a “good old-fashioned” combustion engine. Luxury-car buyers do not want silence; they want noise, emotion and an engine with a story to tell.

That is the backdrop for the Luce, the first electric Ferrari in the Italian marque’s history. More than simply an unprecedented model from the brand - and even heretical in some people’s view - it is increasingly shaping up to be the real test of the future of electric luxury cars. We discussed the responsibility Ferrari now carries in this edition of Auto Rádio, a Razão Automóvel podcast supported by PiscaPisca.pt. Take a look:

A problem nobody has solved

Electric cars have proved exceptionally effective in many segments. The world of supercars and luxury cars, however, operates differently. Figures matter here as well, but they are not the whole story.

The sensory experience has always been an essential part of the formula: the engine note, mechanical vibrations and the rising crescendo of revs. These are features an electric motor simply cannot reproduce. It is no coincidence that several brands have already begun to acknowledge this reality.

Rimac, the company behind the planet’s most extreme electric hypercar, the Nevera R, has already admitted that its wealthiest clients still favour combustion engines. That is why Bugatti Rimac CEO Mate Rimac instructed Bugatti to develop a new 1,800 hp hybrid V16 engine for the Tourbillon.

Rimac is not the only example, even if it has the particular challenge of trying to sell electric cars costing more than two million euros. Several hundred thousand euros lower down the price scale, where the Ferrari Luce will sit, Lamborghini was expected to offer a rival - but that will no longer happen.

Stephan Winkelmann, chief executive of the Sant’Agata Bolognese marque, recently addressed the issue and plainly stated that customer interest is “close to zero”. As a result, the brand would strengthen its focus on internal-combustion engines, integrated into plug-in hybrid systems.

Ferrari Luce: all or nothing

All of this makes it increasingly apparent that the issue is not technical. It is emotional. And if there is one brand able to stir the senses of a car enthusiast, it is Ferrari.

When Ferrari unveils a new model, its effect is usually greater than the product itself. The marque has a rare ability to turn engineering into desire: it is often said that Ferrari does not sell cars, it sells dreams. That is exactly what it will need to achieve with the Luce.

Should the first electric Ferrari win over the marque’s customers, it could open the door for others to introduce a new generation of high-performance, luxury electric cars. Conversely, if even Ferrari cannot persuade this audience, it may demonstrate that electrification simply has no place in certain segments.

Auto Rádio returns next week

There is therefore no shortage of reasons to watch or listen to the latest Auto Rádio episode, which returns next week on the usual platforms: YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify.