Ive and Newson bring old-school charm to Ferrari's first EV interior
Source: Ars Technica
Ferrari’s First EV Interior
Ferrari has published images of the interior of its forthcoming electric vehicle, designed with LoveFrom, the new firm of former Apple star Jony Ive and legendary designer Marc Newson. The Italian sports and racing car maker is taking a careful approach to revealing details about its first battery EV, signaling a depth of thought that goes well beyond simply swapping a V12, transmission, and fuel tank for batteries and electric motors. Indeed, the interior of the new car—called the Ferrari Luce—bears little family resemblance to any recent Ferrari.
Design Inspiration
LoveFrom appears to have channeled Ferrari interiors from the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s, with a retro simplicity that combines clear round gauges with brushed aluminum. Forget the capacitive panels that frustrated many in the Ferrari 296—here, there are physical buttons and rocker switches that seem free of the crash‑protection surrounds that other manufacturers were forced to use.
Steering Wheel
The steering wheel now resembles the iconic “Nardi” wheel that has graced many older Ferraris. In the Luce, the horn buttons are integrated into the spokes, and multifunction pods hang off the horizontal spokes, allowing Ferrari to keep its “hands on the wheel” ergonomics. Made from entirely CNC‑milled recycled aluminum, the Luce’s wheel weighs 400 g less than Ferrari’s usual steering wheel.
Binnacle and Displays
The binnacle that houses the main instrument display is actually two overlapping OLED screens. The analogue dials are displayed by the rear-most screen, appearing through cutouts as if they were traditional dials from Veglia, Smiths, or Jaeger (or the clock on your iPhone). The infotainment screen is mounted on a ball joint that allows it to be oriented toward the driver or passenger as necessary—an interesting feature that other automakers would do well to study (and perhaps copy).
The binnacle is actually two displays, one in front of the other.