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Dubai: Ferrari believes the Middle East could prove particularly well suited to its first fully electric car, with shorter everyday journeys reducing one of the biggest concerns buyers typically associate with EVs.
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Speaking exclusively to Gulf News, Giorgio Turri, Managing Director of Ferrari Middle East, said the region’s younger population, appetite for new technology and driving patterns create favourable conditions for the Ferrari Luce, which is due to arrive in the Middle East for private previews at the beginning of October.
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Cars in the region are predominantly used for commuting and are rarely driven over long distances, Turri said, making range less of an issue for potential buyers.
“One of the famous factors that is influencing the purchasing decisions when you talk about EVs, which is the range anxiety, doesn’t come into play because cars are actually used for short distances or medium distances very rarely for long distances.”
Young buyers and faster technology adoption
Turri also pointed to demographics, particularly across the GCC, where he said the median age is around 30.
“Innovation and technology are embedded in the culture of the Middle East. The pace of the adoption of new technologies and innovation is higher than many other sides of the world, and this is a place where innovation is embraced as the opportunity to progress.”
Younger consumers in the region have grown up during a period of rapid technological change and approach innovation differently from buyers in many other markets, he said.
The level of interest in Ferrari’s first EV has therefore not surprised him.
“Frankly speaking, I’m not surprised of the interest that the car is gaining,” Turri said, pointing again to the region’s openness to innovation, younger population and everyday driving patterns.
Ferrari does not disclose regional order numbers, but Turri said interest is rising ahead of private viewings beginning next month.
“Clearly, we see clients and prospective clients interested to see the car, to sit in the car, to touch it, and eventually to drive it as soon as that will be possible.”
Another Ferrari, not a replacement
Turri was clear that Ferrari does not see Luce as the beginning of a move away from internal combustion engines or hybrid powertrains.
“I don’t believe that the correct word is moving? Because Ferrari is not moving from ICE powertrains or hybrid powertrain to electric. We are adding an option with the full electric powertrain.”
That approach sits within what Turri described as Ferrari’s philosophy of offering “different Ferrari for different Ferraristi and different Ferrari for different moments”.
Luce gives the company something it has not previously offered, combining a fully electric powertrain with four doors and five seats.
Turri described it as “the most versatile and most luxurious Ferrari we have ever made”, giving existing customers another option within the marque while also widening its appeal to people who may have considered Ferrari before but never bought one.
Existing EV owners and first-time electric buyers
Turri said Ferrari is seeing interest from different types of existing customers.
Some already drive electric cars from other manufacturers and see Luce as an opportunity to combine what they like about EVs with Ferrari performance, craftsmanship, technology and driving experience.
Others have never owned an electric vehicle because they had not previously found a product offering the combination they wanted.
“There might be other existing clients who have never bought an electric vehicle before because they haven’t found that combination of performance, design, craftsmanship, and technology that Ferrari is now able to offer with the Luce.”
Turri said some of Ferrari’s leading clients in the Middle East and elsewhere have already confirmed their intention to buy the model.
The car could also attract prospective customers who have looked at Ferrari previously without making a purchase, particularly those seeking greater versatility alongside the performance associated with the marque.
He believes Luce will occupy a distinct position within the electric-car market because of the combination of its powertrain, performance, craftsmanship, luxury and Ferrari identity.
“Certainly, it’s a car that is claiming a very unique market space, and frankly, there is nothing else in the market that can be compared to it, especially if you look at the overall package.”
He said the same characteristics could appeal to both existing Ferrari owners and customers who have never previously entered the brand.
More than 1,000 horsepower
Ferrari has developed Luce around the same focus on driving experience that shapes its combustion-engine cars.
Turri said the car produces more than 1,000 horsepower through four electric motors, with active suspension, four-wheel steering, carbon-ceramic brakes and torque management through paddles behind the steering wheel forming part of the package.
He described Ferrari’s approach to driving emotion through five areas, covering longitudinal acceleration, lateral acceleration, braking, power delivery and sound.
The company decided against recreating the noise of an internal combustion engine, choosing instead to capture the genuine sound produced by the electric motor and channel it towards the cabin.
“With the Luce, we take the decision not to create a fake replica of the sound of an ICE, or to let’s say kind of amplify a fake sound. But we took the decision to work on capturing the authentic sound of the electric motor and to channel it towards the cockpit to make it helpful for the driver in terms of driving feeling and to make it part of the driving experience again to elevate the emotions.”
Turri said a different sound from an electric Ferrari should not be viewed as a departure from the brand’s character.
“Matter of fact, an electric car cannot have the same sound as internal combustion engine. But the same goes for a turbocharged car that cannot have the same sound as a naturally aspirated.”
The aim, he said, is to remain authentic to the technology being used and extract what that particular powertrain can offer.
Success will go beyond sales
Turri said Ferrari will ultimately judge Luce on more than sales volumes alone.
Numbers will remain part of the picture, but the company will also look at customer appreciation and satisfaction over the ownership journey.
“I believe we will look very much at the appreciation, at the genuine love, and eventually satisfaction of our clients throughout the journey.”
