Ferrari recently launched its highly controversial first electric vehicle, the Luce, and the rumor mill is already spinning out of control. According to a recent Bloomberg report, the Italian automaker was allegedly resorting to heavy-handed dealership tactics, pressuring its most elite VIP clients to purchase the €550,000 four-door EV just to maintain their preferential status and gain access to future limited-edition models.Now, Ferrari is aggressively shutting down that narrative.Ferrari's Absolute PR NightmareFor a brand that thrives on hyper-exclusivity, the idea of forcing its top-tier collectors into a $899,506 AUD battery-powered vehicle they didn't actually want sparked massive outrage in the automotive community.AdvertisementAdvertisementFerrari's Chief Marketing Officer, Enrico Galliera, officially stepped in to crush the rumors, labeling the reports as entirely "false".Ferrari Luce | Courtesy: Ferrari.com"I was mad because we don't respect what is written in this article, and it's totally not correct," Galliera stated bluntly to The Drive.Galliera emphasized that the Luce—which is slated to hit Australian shores in mid-2027—was fundamentally designed for a very different target audience. While the brand is thrilled when existing collectors decide to add the EV to their garages, Galliera made it explicitly clear that purchasing the new model does not automatically grant a buyer special privileges or act as a prerequisite to secure allocations for traditional Special Series cars.The Negative Ambassador EffectThe most fascinating part of Galliera's defense is his brutal honesty regarding the reality of the high-end exotic car market. He explained exactly why forcing a client to buy an unwanted EV is a disastrous business strategy.AdvertisementAdvertisementDestroying Brand Value: If a client drops over half a million euros on a vehicle they resent, they immediately become the brand's first "negative ambassador".Crashing the Used Market: Unhappy owners would inevitably offload their unwanted EVs onto the secondary market almost immediately.Protecting Residuals: This sudden influx of used inventory would artificially crash the car's residual values, which is a metric Ferrari fiercely protects.Despite the harsh early reception from traditionalists—including former Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo, who bluntly stated he hoped the brand would remove the iconic Prancing Horse badge from the vehicle—the Luce is allegedly finding its own footing.Ferrari executives have noted that early orders for the controversial EV are currently meeting the company's expectations. Interestingly, the demand is split straight down the middle. Roughly 50 percent of the buyers are brand-new customers entering the Ferrari ecosystem for the first time. The other half consists of traditional Ferrari owners curious about the brand's electric future.Ultimately, Ferrari knows that pushing a radically different five-seat EV onto old-school V12 purists is a losing battle. The Luce will have to survive entirely on its own merits.
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