Ferrari Marketing Chief Quits After ‘Polarising’ EV Design

Ferrari Marketing Chief Enrico Galliera has departed the role following considerable backlash to the Italian car maker’s first ever electric vehicle (EV).

Enrico, a 16-year veteran of the company, has been replaced by Massimiliano Di Silvestre, BMW’s former head of Italian operations, following criticisms around Ferrari’s Luce model.

The Luce – priced at €550,000 (US$640,000) – is Ferrari’s first attempt at venturing into the EV market and is part of the company’s plan to position itself as a net-zero business.

Despite these efforts, many in the industry compared the Luce’s design to Nissan’s cost-effective, mass market EV, the Leaf, which retails at US$29,990 in the US.

Discussing the car’s visuals in relation to Ferrari’s image, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, the company’s former chairman, says the Luce “risks destroying the myth” of Ferrari, and should not display the company’s logo. 

Mirroring Luca’s criticisms, Carlo Calenda, a former Italian economic minister, says the model is “an aesthetic and technological insult to anyone who loves Ferrari”.

A veteran of iconic design

Enrico, who also served as Ferrari’s Chief Commercial Officer, says the company planned for the design to be “polarising”.

“The aim was to bring into the market something that is completely new that is designed to [divide] opinion,” he adds.

The Luce was designed by Sir Jony Ive, Apple’s former Design Chief, who worked alongside Steve Jobs on iconic designs like the iPhone, the Apple Watch and the MacBook.

A Ferrari spokesman commented on Enrico’s departure, saying: “After more than 16 years with Ferrari, Enrico Galliera has decided to embark on a new chapter in his professional journey. This is a long planned decision, shared with the company some time ago.”

Additionally, Ferrari's CEO Benedetto Vigna personally thanks Enrico for his time at the car manufacturer. "I would like to thank Enrico for the extraordinary contribution he has made to Ferrari throughout his long career," he says.

"He has the gratitude of the entire Ferrari team and my personal best wishes for the future."

Despite the backlash, Benedetto defends the Luce's design, saying the company has already received orders from new and existing clients worldwide.

He also pushes back on the model's comparison to more cost-effective designs. The Luce "has nothing to do with EVs you have seen from other players", he says, adding that consumers will have to drive it to understand that its interiors, exteriors and performance were not copied.

Ferrari’s future EV business strategy

The company’s share price fell more than 8% the day after the Luce’s announcement, suggesting a lack of investor and consumer confidence in the model’s success.

Ferrari has said the Luce’s visual design serves as “entirely new Ferrari” and that it functions as a “simplified and rationalised” driving experience.

This new model comes after the manufacturer announced plans last year to scale back its ambitions over its company-wide EV focus.

Discussing Ferrari’s EV strategy and its sustainability plans, Benedetto adds: “We are convinced that a company demonstrates its leadership when it has the courage to dare and to take on the challenge of new technologies. 

“Ferrari Luce was born precisely from this challenge, offering our unprecedented vision of electrification.”