Ferrari built the battery in its first electric car, the Luce, from pouch cells co-developed with Korea’s SK On, the same flat, foil-wrapped format found in smartphones. The pack holds 122 kWh in 210 cells and sits in a chassis designed so the modules can be swapped later. Customer deliveries are about to begin for a car Ferrari says is already sold out.
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Pouch cells earned their phone reputation by trading a rigid metal can for a soft laminated skin. That choice saves weight, lets engineers shape a cell to fit an awkward space and gives each cell more surface for shedding heat. Most electric cars use cylindrical or prismatic cans instead, which makes Maranello’s decision a deliberate departure rather than a default. The more unusual part is what Ferrari did around the cells to make them last.
Laminated film, custom tabs and the cell format
According to Autoblog’s Anton Andres, the cells are wrapped in laminated aluminum-plastic film, which makes them lighter than steel- or aluminum-cased alternatives, and the soft format supports higher discharge rates. Luce project leader Andrea Binotti said SK On was willing to customize the cell tab design to enable higher current delivery than the nominal rating. That detail matters for a four-motor car producing up to 772 kW at peak, because the tabs are where current leaves the cell and heat concentrates.
The cells are rated at 159 Ah and use a graphite anode with a high-nickel NMC cathode, HDmotori reports. CarExpert gives an energy density of around 305 Wh/kg.
Fifteen modules in a permanent housing
The 210 cells are connected in series and grouped into 15 modules of 14, with 13 modules in the floor and two beneath the rear seats, as CarExpert described after Ferrari’s briefing. Each pair of cells shares a plate that handles cooling and cell swelling, and every module carries its own controller that checks temperature every second and voltage every millisecond. The pack is assembled in-house at Ferrari’s e-building in Maranello, and an eight-year warranty covers key electric components including the battery and charging system.
The swappable idea is the part that sets the Luce apart from a phone battery. Elena Ligabue, Ferrari’s head of battery pack development, said the chassis, the car and the battery housing are forever, with the technology inside replaceable by something new. She added that at the end, one cannot distinguish what is chassis and what is battery pack, because the two are fused together. Ferrari says the design allows newer cells to be fitted even if today’s cells are no longer produced in about 20 years, and HDmotori adds that the modules can be replaced individually.
Charging, power and price of the first electric Ferrari
The architecture runs at 800 volts, and HDmotori puts peak charging at 350 kW, enough to add 70 kWh in about 20 minutes. The EV Report’s coverage of the Luce lists four motors, one per wheel, with combined output of 1,050 cv, or 772 kW. Electrive reported a starting price of 550,000 euros when Ferrari unveiled the car in May, and the maker claims 0 to 100 km/h in 2.5 seconds.
Autoblog frames the Luce as developed like a smartphone, down to an infotainment screen that swivels, and the styling has drawn heavy criticism online. Even so, Autoblog reported that the car sold out, with a large share going to buyers in China. The Autoblog piece does not give a capacity-based range figure or confirm a delivery schedule beyond saying handovers are imminent.
Thermal and safety hardware gets the same attention. HDmotori describes aluminum heat sinks shared by pairs of cells, insulating layers between mini-modules and three cooling plates, with an e-Box that houses the battery management system, power electronics and fuses. The main fuse is rated to cut current within 3 milliseconds in a short circuit above 2,000 amps. Warranty coverage differs by outlet: CarExpert cites eight years on key electric components, while HDmotori describes a lifetime warranty on electrical parts through the Ferrari Forever program, so buyers should confirm terms in their own contract.
Autoblog also covered the longevity pitch in a separate piece on how Ferrari designed the Luce so it can last forever, where the swappable pack is presented as a way to extend the car’s life instead of retiring it when cell chemistry moves on. The aluminum battery plates also form part of the chassis load path, which Ferrari says stiffens the car and lowers its center of gravity, so removing a module is a service operation rather than a casual upgrade.
What remains unproven is the long game. Ferrari promises a battery that can be refreshed for decades, and its own battery lead frames the housing as permanent. Whether future SK On cells, or another supplier’s, will fit the same 15-module grid is a claim that cannot be tested until the first Luce owners reach the point where a new generation of cells exists to swap in.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by Morning Overview editors prior to publication.
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