Love it or hate it, the Ferrari Luce is a real product that the automaker plans to produce and sell. It’s unclear how many consumers are lining up to pay the Italian brand €550,000 ($641,000 at today’s exchange rate), but people are already placing orders while the CEO defends the controversial car.
The company’s boss, Benedetto Vigna, said that the automaker has received "strong interest, including from new clients," reports Reuters. "We’ve already received bank transfers, clients who were there want it," he said.
The Luce has received harsh criticism since its debut earlier this week. The company's share price fell, and its former boss, Luca di Montezemolo, openly expressed his displeasure with the EV. He said that his honest opinion about the car would be doing the company “a disservice.”
He said the Luce runs the risk of "destroying a legend" and hoped that they would “at least remove the prancing horse” from it, but that is unlikely. Ferrari is committed to the car, fully believing it is unique enough for the iconic badge. Vigna said:
'If you see it and try it, you immediately understand it was not copied, and it has nothing to share with other EVs you have seen and are produced by others, in terms of interiors, exterior, and performance.'
We will know exactly how many people are truly interested in the car in July. That is when Ferrari will reveal how many people have placed deposits.
Gallery: Ferrari Luce
Motor1’s Take: Despite the harsh critiques the car has received, Vigna has said that the Luce represents a new chapter for the company, designed to appeal to new and existing customers. We will know the exact number in just a couple of months.
