In 2021, Ferrari and its parent company Exor announced a multi-year creative partnership with LoveFrom, the design firm co-founded by Apple's former design chief Jony Ive and fellow designer Marc Newson.Now, in an event held at the Transamerica Pyramid, not far from LoveFrom's studio in San Francisco, Ferrari has shared the first results of that collab by unveiling the interior and interface of its first fully electric car, named "Luce" (Italian for "light").In a writeup over at , automotive journalist and alum Jordan Golson describes how the Luce is designed around the premise that a car's interface should be operable largely by feel, with minimal visual distraction.
Ive argues that touchscreens made sense for the iPhone because it solved a general-purpose problem, but it's not for driving: "To use touch in a car is something I would never dream of doing, because it requires that you look at what you're doing." Following from that premise, the steering wheel and binnacle form a clear driving zone, where physical inputs are separated from visual outputs.Core functions such as climate, seat heating, and drive modes use dedicated mechanical switches and dials.Physical controls trigger contextual responses on the displays, and the instrument binnacle combines layered OLED screens with physical depth and a real mechanical needle moving between them.
The steering wheel itself is an exposed aluminum structure, where the glass-and-metal buttons are differentiated by touch, and the paddle shifters control EV functions like regenerative braking and torque delivery.One of the standout features of the Luce is its glass key with an E Ink display.In your pocket it appears Ferrari yellow, and because E Ink is bistable, it consumes no power when static.
When the driver enters the car, a magnet in the center console guides the key into a dedicated dock.Press it down, and the yellow fades to black as the key integrates with the glass surface of the console.Ive calls this "theater," re-imagining the ritual of starting up an electric car.
Head over to Golson's website for his full coverage, and watch his exclusive video above.Ferrari has been unveiling its first fully electric car in three stages.The first reveal, held in Maranello last October, focused on the underlying technology, including the battery, motors, and platform.
This second phase centers on the interior and interface.The exterior will be revealed in Italy in May.
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