Ferrari’s First Luce Shows Up in China Ahead of Deliveries
The Ferrari all-electric supercar just landed in China, and it’s not even a customer car yet.
A Ferrari Luce has shown up on a dealership floor in Guangzhou, marking the electric sedan’s first public appearance in China outside of its official launch event.
The car, finished in Ferrari’s Rosso Fiammante red, appeared in social media posts from the dealership this week. Reports indicate it is not a new customer delivery. It is the same demo unit Ferrari used at Luce’s global reveal in Rome, now touring the brand’s Chinese dealer network. Public reaction to the sighting has been mixed, which fits the pattern set since the car was first revealed.
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The Luce is Ferrari’s first fully electric production model. Unlike most Ferrari road cars, the Luce was not designed by Ferrari’s in-house studio. The exterior and interior came from LoveFrom, the design firm founded by former Apple designers Jony Ive and Marc Newson.
The car is a four-door grand tourer built to seat five people, making it Ferrari’s first production model with five seats. Its styling divided opinion from the moment it was revealed. Critics said the design was too plain and too far removed from Ferrari’s combustion-engine identity. The backlash was strong enough to weigh on Ferrari’s stock price after the reveal briefly.
Performance and Specs
The Luce’s numbers are strong, even if its looks remain a point of debate.
- Four independent electric motors, two per axle, producing a combined 772 kW (1,035 hp)
- 0 to 100 km/h in 2.5 seconds
- Top speed above 310 km/h (192 mph)
- 122 kWh battery on an 800-volt platform
- Range of about 530 km (330 miles) on the CLTC cycle
- Fast charging up to 350 kW, adding 70 kWh in about 20 minutes
The car is just over 5 meters long. It rides on 23-inch front and 24-inch rear wheels, the largest ever fitted to a Ferrari road car.
Price and China’s Reception
Ferrari officially launched the Luce in China in Shanghai in late June. The starting price was set at 3.988 million yuan, or about $586,600. China received an allocation of only 88 units, and dealers reported that all of them sold shortly after the launch event.
The Chinese price is roughly 7% lower than the European starting price of 550,000 euros, or about $626,000. That is unusual, since imported luxury cars typically cost more in China once local taxes are applied. Because the Luce is fully electric, it avoids the displacement taxes charged on combustion-engine imports, which likely explains the lower price.
Why It Matters
China is the largest EV market in the world, and how buyers there respond to the Luce will shape Ferrari’s broader electric strategy. The car also faces competition from Chinese electric performance brands, including BYD’s Denza Z and Yangwang’s U9, both of which offer strong output figures of their own. Early sales suggest the Ferrari badge still holds strong appeal even when the car underneath breaks sharply from the brand’s tradition. Whether that appeal continues once more units reach the road, and once real-world reviews follow, is the next thing to watch.
