Ferrari Luce, Maranello's first ever electric car

Summary

"But by doing something bigger, we were able to deliver space for five people. The c of g is lower [95mm lower than the Purosangue’s] and we’ve improved the torsional rigidity by integrating the battery pack into the body. We’ve re-thought everything. As a result, 95 per cent of the components are new.” The Luce enjoys unprecedented control of each wheel in all three axis – lateral, longitudinal and vertical – with particular emphasis on the lateral body dynamic. A new ‘vehicle control unit’ (VCU) oversees everything, and updates targets 200 times per second. The front motors deliver 282bhp, the rears 831bhp, and there’s mammoth torque – 5,900lb ft at the rear wheels.There’s more. Efficiency, energy density and thermal management were all prioritised. The front motors can spin at up to 30,000rpm, and can go from nothing to full tilt in less than a second. The chassis and body consists of 75 per cent recycled aluminium, which dramatically reduces CO2 emissions. The driver sits further forward and closer to the front axle than you might expect, so there’s a greater sense of command at the wheel despite the car’s dimensions.There’s also a separate, elastically mounted subframe for the first time on a Ferrari, which reduces NVH. There is an authentic sound, a vital component on any Ferrari. “A precision accelerometer at the centre of the axle captures dynamic texture and vibration of the rotating components,” the company says, equalising and amplifying it in a manner similar to an electric guitar. It works when the Luce is in Performance mode.A system called Torque Shift Engagement effectively delivers engine braking and increased driver interaction via progressive torque demand. So you approach a corner with the same sort of control as you do in a combustion car. An e-manettino joins the traditional chassis one, and oversees power, the torque curve, traction, and performance via ‘Range’, ‘Tour’ and ‘Performance’ settings.There’s a virtual diff, torque vectoring on all ...