Italian super-car manufacturer Ferrari has shocked purists and petrolheads by unveiling its first ever battery electric vehicle – the Luce.

Pronounced loo-chay, it translates into ‘light’ or ‘electricity’ in Italian.

Despite swearing off petrol, the Luce stays true to Ferrari’s iconic performance roots, as it promises acceleration from zero to 100 km/h in 2.5 s, and zero to 200 km/h in 6.8 s, which may prove sufficient to keep some traditionalists happy.

Maximum speed is 310 km/h.

EV fans, however, may appreciate the Luce’s range more – a whopping 530 km before you need to recharge, according to purveyor of the prancing horse.

The vehicle has three modes.

In Range mode, power is limited to 320 kW, operation is predominantly rear‑wheel drive, top speed is 260 km/h and the vehicle uses various strategies to maximise efficiency.

In Tour mode, available power rises to 460 kW, all‑wheel drive is always active, and top speed remains 260 km/h.

In Performance mode, maximum power reaches 725 kW, all‑wheel drive is permanent, and the car reaches a top speed of 310 km/h, along with the strongest response intensity.

The Luce’s 800 V battery pack is designed, validated and built in Ferrari’s home town, Maranello, and is integrated into the floorpan, helping to lower the car’s centre of gravity.

The pack consists of 210 cells connected in series, and delivers a gross energy capacity of 122 kWh at 800 V.

Peak discharge power is 830 kW, and it is possible to recharge 70 kWh in 20 minutes using a fast-charging station capable of delivering up to 350 kW.

The Luce also makes use of four completely independent engines, two at the front and two at the rear, also developed and assembled in‑house.

With the question around performance resolved, what is the answer if you love the rip-roaring sound of a Ferrari, but know that an electric car delivers zero engine noise?

In the Luce, powertrain sound is captured by a sensor that allows the existing sound, which travels through the solid material of the axles, to be amplified, and to reach the cabin in a similar way to how an electric guitar’s amplifier works. (For those drivers who want to let pedestrians and other drivers know they are driving a Ferrari, there is unfortunately no solution.)

Developing the sound of the first electric Ferrari took five years of work and 40 000 km of dedicated track testing.

Ferrari says its approach to sound stems from a clear choice ­– in an electric Ferrari, sound can exist only if it is authentic and functional, meaning it must be rooted in the car’s mechanics, and it must be truly at the service of the driving experience and never the result of an artificial construct.

For this reason, the Luce’s sound is not generated, as is the case with some other electric vehicles, but rather taken directly from the source.

The sound that the electric axles produce and transmit through the metal in the form of vibration is acquired in real time by a precision accelerometer installed in the rear-axle housing.

This sensor brings into the cabin the living texture generated by rotating components, gears and electric machines.

The signal is processed by a dedicated filtering and equalisation system, developed and patented by Ferrari, which amplifies its finer components and attenuates the less desirable ones through continuous, real‑time processing.

All in all, the performance car marquees believes the launch of the Luce is adding to Ferrari’s heritage, rather than denting its reputation.

“We are not simply unveiling a new car, we are inaugurating a chapter that turns our vision into reality, strengthening Ferrari’s tradition of anticipating and shaping the future,” says Ferrari president John Elkann.

“We are convinced that a company demonstrates its leadership when it has the courage to dare and to take on the challenge of new technologies,” adds CEO Benedetto Vigna.

“Ferrari Luce was born precisely from this challenge, offering our unprecedented vision of electrification. Never before have we offered our clients such freedom of choice. In line with our belief in technological neutrality, we are the first in the world to combine fully electric, hybrid and combustion engine architectures for sports cars.

“We have not limited ourselves to innovation in powertrains; with Luce, we have launched a whole new segment in our range.

“This model is the result of more than 60 of our new patents and lies at the heart of an ecosystem of collaborations with outstanding technology partners,” says Vigna.

“We have created a car that combines unique driving emotions with extraordinary performance, driving pleasure, and comfort for the Ferraristi of today and tomorrow.”