Why Jony Ive, Marc Newson Created A Radical Vision for the Ferrari Luce EV

Hold on to your hot takes, because this is the collab to end all collabs. Jony Ive and Marc Newson — the two most influential designers of the past, say, 50 years — put their LoveFrom agency to work in collaboration with Ferrari to design the brand’s first ever EV, and this is the result.

More on that in a moment, but first, the name. Ferrari’s first EV will be called the Luce, not the Elettrica as the company had previously been calling it. (Luce is pronounced not like “Lucy” but instead with Italian flair; it rhymes with “touché.”) The name means “light” or “illumination” in Italian.

“When Ferrari speaks of Luce, it is not defining a technology, but a philosophy: electrification as a means, not an end — a new era where design, engineering and imagination converge into something that did not exist before,” explained the company. The name is meant to express the Italian firm’s, “uncompromising vision, transparent design, silent energy that is felt in every fibre, and form shaped by function.”

Why an ex-Apple designer?

The decision to bring ex-Apple designer Jony Ive and industrial design legend Marc Newson on board to collaborate with Ferrari was announced back in 2021 following the appointment of physicist and former tech executive Benedetto Vigna as the CEO of Ferrari. He was acquainted with Ive’s work having worked with him and Apple previously.

LoveFrom was, “given the creative space to define the project’s design direction from the outset to translate a new, cross-disciplinary design language into an authentic Ferrari experience.” They worked in collaboration with Ferrari’s in-house Styling Centre, led by the brilliant Flavio Manzoni.

“The team focused on perfecting and refining every solution to its purest form — not to reinvent what already works, but to create a new, carefully considered expression of Ferrari.”

But the decision to bring LoveFrom onboard for the Ferrari EV is bigger than personalities; it speaks to the fact that the stakes are high, the market is cold, and Ferrari really needs to break through the noise and prove it is a leader. The usual car-enthusiast crowd is not sold on the idea of a Ferrari EV yet, and the market for performance-minded EVs seems to be shrinking by the month. (It’s telling that Ferrari’s old rival Lamborghini has delayed its first EV until 2029, saying the market simply isn’t ready.)

Ferrari’s EV won’t be the first super-expensive and mind-bogglingly fast EV, but Ferrari intends to set itself apart and convince the doubters by delivering a particular — and particularly new — experience.

Upon first glance, that experience looks to be a refreshing mix of the physical and digital. The tachometer needles and clock hands, for example, are analog, but the screens behind them are digital. It blends vintage Ferrari cues with modern tech, while also offering something genuinely new. There’s simply never been a car cockpit like this before.

We are also, frankly, relieved to see plenty of physical controls. Despite the fact Jony Ive is the man who put touchscreens in all of our pockets, he appears to understand the need for tactile controls in a car. Muscle memory is important when you’re doing over 200 km/h or pulling serious lateral g-forces.

“The team focused on perfecting and refining every solution to its purest form — not to reinvent what already works, but to create a new, carefully considered expression of Ferrari, built for a world where interaction is increasingly meaningful,” reads the press release.

The focus on interaction is key here, because unlike in previous Ferraris that had a high-pitched V12 or gnarly V8 generating vibration and noise, an EV has nothing but raw silent speed. Something else is needed to delight and entertain drivers. What has LoveFrom come up with for the Luce?

There are so many details to dig into here, so we’ll go component by component, in Ferrari’s words:

Steering Wheel

The design team chose a simplified three-spoke form, reinterpreting the iconic 1950s and 60s wooden three-spoke Nardi wheel. The aluminium structure of the spokes is intentionally exposed and highlighted, showcasing the material’s strength and finish. Manufactured in 100 per cent recycled aluminium, the alloy was developed specifically for the Ferrari Luce to ensure mechanical resistance and a superb surface quality for the anodization process. The steering wheel is made with 19 CNC-machined parts and weighs 400 grams less than a standard Ferrari steering wheel. Every button has been developed to provide the most harmonious combination of mechanical and acoustic feedback based on more than 20 evaluation tests with Ferrari test drivers.

Key and Key Dock

Starting the Ferrari Luce is a ritual that begins with engaging the key — a unique, tactile object. The key is made in Corning GorillaGlass and features a specially developed ‘E Ink’ display that only uses power during colour changes. This implementation of an ‘E Ink’ display marks an automotive first. Inserting the key into its dock on the central console initiates a carefully choreographed sequence: the key’s colour switches from yellow to black as it integrates with the glass surface of the central console. The control panel and binnacle simultaneously light up, heightening anticipation and signalling the transition from stillness to motion. [Editor’s note: no more fumbling around with the key!? It’s a small wonder this solution took so long to come up with.]

Typeface

The displays feature an understated, new custom typeface that gives the interface and identity a coherent typographic voice, informed by historic Ferrari type and Italian engineering lettering.

Binnacle

The binnacle moves with the steering wheel, optimising the driver’s view of the instrumentation and supporting driver performance. It features two overlapping OLED displays that deliver crisp graphics, vibrant colours, and infinite contrast for an unprecedented viewing experience. The designers’ meticulous attention to detail for the binnacle required the collaboration of Samsung Display’s engineers to create an ultra-light and ultra-thin OLED panel featuring a world first — three large cutouts strategically reveal the information generated by a second display behind the top panel, creating a fascinating visual depth that captures the eye. Each opening is protected by a clear glass lens, further enhancing the sense of three-dimensionality, and is surrounded by anodised aluminium rings.

Control Panel

The control panel is mounted on a ball-and-socket joint, allowing the screen to be oriented towards either the driver or the passenger — a unique feature that enhances and shares the Ferrari experience. Attention to ergonomic details, including a palm rest for operating the panel, further elevates the user experience. The multigraph integrated into the central display is a masterpiece of micro-engineering. This symbol of precision and innovation features a proprietary movement with three independent motors that move the hands autonomously. Three anodised aluminium hands glide over a minimalist dial protected by Corning Gorilla Glass. An advanced electronic control system gives the multigraph four modes — clock, chronograph, compass, and launch control — with animated transitions reminiscent of the finest chronographs. The multigraph honours Ferrari’s tradition, and redefines the onboard experience, blending watchmaking artistry and technology into a feature that expresses the brand’s passion and excellence.

Instrument Cluster

These displays are designed to resemble analogue gauges, delivering a sense of familiarity and tactile engagement, yet are fully digital beneath their surface. The binnacle’s graphics are inspired by the clarity and elegance of historic instrument dials, particularly Veglia and Jaeger instruments from the 1950s and 60s. Drawing on decades of experience in horological design, the team sought to achieve a watch-like clarity, creating a modern, clean layout that highlights the legibility of the dials. Information is presented in a way that is immediately legible and intuitively understood. This approach is rooted in the concept of reducing cognitive load for the driver. By referencing the simplicity of analogue watch dials, where time can be read at a glance, the designers aimed to make the car’s controls and displays equally intuitive.

Shifter

The shifter is a technical work of art in Corning Gorilla Glass. Functional, strong, and elegant, it is made using first-of-their kind glass manufacturing processes that have never been incorporated into automotive interior design before. To achieve the level of precision required by Ferrari, lasers were used to make tiny holes in the glass half the width of a human hair to deposit the ink for the graphics with the perfect level of uniformity. Gorilla is designed to offer superior surface durability as well as better impact and scratch resistance than conventional glass and is used on the control panel, binnacle and on the surface of the central console.

We have no doubt the performance of the Luce will live up to the Ferrari name, but whether the entire experience does or not remains to be seen. But, this is a very promising start.

Note: Ferrari’s descriptions have been edited and condensed.

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