Ferrari Luce. Credit: Ferrari China
- Several authorized Ferrari dealers say the Luce remains open for orders in China, with deliveries expected to begin in the third quarter of next year.
- Chinese customers can’t yet test-drive the Luce, with only one engineering display car from the Italian factory currently available in Asia.
Ferrari’s first all-electric model, the Luce, is still available to order in China, several authorized dealers said in response to recent rumors that it had sold out.
The car has not been fully booked, contrary to claims made by some social media bloggers, according to a Tuesday report by Chinese media outlet Lanjinger.
The Luce made its Asian debut and went on sale in China in Shanghai on June 26, with a starting price of 3.988 million yuan ($587,720). It is Ferrari’s first four-door, five-seat all-electric model.
After the debut, some social media bloggers claimed that the initial batch of 88 units allocated to the Chinese market had quickly sold out.
However, these claims cited no sources, and Ferrari itself released no such information. Some Chinese media outlets later picked up the reports.
Reporters from Lanjinger consulted several authorized Ferrari dealers, all of whom said the car remained available to order, requiring a deposit of several hundred thousand yuan to secure a spot in the first batch.
Some dealers asked for a deposit of 400,000 yuan, while others asked for 500,000 yuan. One dealer said the deposit is non-refundable once a contract is signed, another payment will be collected when production begins, and the balance is due upon delivery.
Several dealers said deliveries for first-batch customers are expected to begin in the third quarter of next year, with earlier orders entering production sooner.
Chinese customers cannot yet test-drive the Luce. One dealer said there is currently only one engineering display car from the Italian factory in the Asian market, which will tour various locations, with test drives expected to be available only next year.
The Luce had earlier debuted in Europe, where it starts at 550,000 euros ($626,950). That means its European price is higher than in the Chinese market.
The Luce’s design departed from Ferrari’s in-house design center, instead being entrusted to the external team LoveFrom. The team was founded by former Apple chief design officer Jony Ive and others.
The car breaks with Ferrari’s decades-long tradition of two-door sports cars, adopting a more family-oriented four-door, five-seat layout.
Its disruptive design has also sparked considerable controversy. Asked for his assessment, former Ferrari chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo said he feared the move risks destroying a legend.
He also said one thing was certain: Chinese automakers would never imitate the Luce.
The remarks quickly drew pushback from Chinese auto executives. Li Boxiao, deputy general manager at Voyah, said on Weibo late last month that Chinese cars have no interest in copying, taking a different path in design, smart driving, cabin and architecture.
During a media briefing late last month following the launch of the ES9 SUV, William Li, founder, chairman, and CEO of Nio Inc (NYSE: NIO), was also asked how he viewed the Luce.
Li said at the time that the Luce’s design has its own unique characteristics and shouldn’t be judged solely at first glance; he believes there is thought behind Ferrari’s design.
Ferrari Luce made its China debut and went on sale in Shanghai, with a starting price of 3.988 million yuan ($586,630).
($1 = 6.7855 yuan, $1 = 0.8773 euros)
