Ferrari's transition into the inevitable EV era apparently got going with an unlikely source of automotive wisdom. According to Chairman John Elkann, a conversation with Jeff Bezos in July 2016 planted the seed that eventually became the Luce, Maranello’s first foray into the electric segment. However, Amazon’s founder wasn't pretending to be a know-it-all by telling the company what it should do.
According to a new report from Italian news agency ANSA, Elkann recalls chatting with Bezos in July 2016 while they were out for a walk. The man behind the giant online retailer said at one point: "I don't know anything about cars, but I really know a lot about innovation. I think you need to think seriously about building an electric Ferrari.”
That seemingly simple comment had enormous consequences. Elkann admits the conversation was the first moment he began thinking seriously about what an EV could actually be. The goal wasn't merely to take an existing model, swap its combustion engine for batteries, and call it a day. Instead, Ferrari set out to build a standalone model by leveraging the rapid developments in electric vehicles.
Ferrari didn’t publicly announce plans to launch a model without a gas engine until June 2022, and it took another four years for the EV to materialize. The Luce finally broke cover on May 25 , immediately sparking huge speculation about its exterior design. So much so that the technical specifications somehow became less important, as all eyes were on the styling.
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