Ferrari is readying its first electric vehicle and needed some help developing it. It collaborated with LoveFrom, the creative collective founded by Sir Jony Ive, Apple’s former design chief, to design the cabin. The automaker also had to reach out to NASA to ensure the EV’s acceleration didn’t disturb the passengers.
In an interview with Autocar India, Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna told the publication that EVs can accelerate at such a powerful rate that "sometimes it’s disturbing our brain," so the automaker reached out to experts. It conducted medical studies in addition to working with NASA.
According to Vigna, the automaker wanted to find out, "What is the level of acceleration that is disturbing to people?" Too much acceleration isn’t necessarily a good thing, and he added that it just makes you wait "for the time to stop the acceleration."
Despite consulting NASA and other medical experts, the Ferrari Luce will be quick.
Luce Performance Details
Ferrari’s slow rollout of its first EV has already revealed some preliminary information about the model. Back in October, the automaker claimed the EV would make over 986 horsepower and sprint from zero to 62 miles per hour in 2.5 seconds with a top speed of 192 mph.
It will have four electric motors and a 122.0-kilowatt-hour battery. It will have independent rear-wheel steering and the active suspension system from the Purosangue and F80.
We have already seen the interior, which has physical buttons and switches. We expect Luce to debut sometime this year.
Motor1’s Take: Electric vehicles are known for their quick acceleration. It doesn't sound like Ferrari is afraid of being too quick, but instead, wants to offer an engaging driving experience that goes beyond pure power. We will have to see if NASA's assistance helped or hindered the vehicle when it goes on sale.
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Ferrari's first EV needed NASA expertise to optimize acceleration for human comfort, not just speed.
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This shows even supercar makers must balance raw power with driver experience in the EV era.
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The Ferrari Luce will still hit 0-62 mph in 2.5 seconds despite the human-centered tuning.
