ENS

Level-graded English lessons with reading, listening, activities, and discussion.

Lesson Info

Type
Article
Level
4 / B2
Published
Title
Ferrari Shows Its First Electric Car
Webpage
https://eslnewsstories.com/articles/2026-06-01-ferrari-shows-its-first-electric-car/

Lesson Content

Warm-up, Vocab List, Reading and Audio

Understanding: Main Idea, True or False, Multiple Choice

Language: Words That Go Together

Use It: Discussion Builder, Sentence Unscramble, Discussion Questions

Answers

Think Ahead: Which detail do you think appears in this story?

a) Some people like Ferrari’s new electric car, but others do not.

b) Ferrari says its new electric car is cheap and simple.

c) Ferrari says it will only make electric cars in the future.

A car on a city street.
Ferrari's Luce.

Ask: (1) List all the carmakers that you can think of. (2) Would you rather buy a petrol, hybrid, or electric car? Why?

Vocab List

reveal (v.) — To show something publicly for the first time.
brand (n.) — The name and public image of a company or product.
luxury (adj.) — Very expensive and high in quality.
demand (n.) — The level of interest from people who want to buy something.
divide (v.) — To make people have different opinions about something.
hybrid (adj.) — Using two different types of power, especially petrol and electricity.
praise (v.) — To say that something is very good.
competition (n.) — A situation in which people or companies try to be more successful than others.
investor (n.) — A person or group that puts money into a business to make a profit.
identity (n.) — The qualities that make a person, company, or thing what it is.
Reading

Ferrari has revealed its first fully electric car, the Luce, a luxury sports car expected to cost about $640,000. The name means “light” in Italian. The car is unusual for Ferrari because it is also the company’s first five-seater.

The Luce looks very different from a traditional Ferrari. Its design has divided opinion online. Some people praised it as a brave and modern step forward. Others said the company had made a serious mistake and moved too far away from the classic Ferrari style.

Investors also seemed worried. After the launch, Ferrari’s share price fell in both Italy and the United States. This suggests that some people are unsure whether an electric Ferrari can protect the company’s powerful brand image.

Ferrari says the car took about five years to develop. It has one electric motor on each wheel and can reach 60 mph, or 96 km/h, in about 2.5 seconds. The company says it makes the main parts itself, which should make repairs easier in the future and help protect the car’s resale value.

The launch comes at a difficult time for electric vehicles. Some major carmakers have slowed their EV plans because demand has been weaker than expected. Several luxury car brands are now focusing more on hybrid cars, which use both petrol and electricity.

Another challenge is competition from Chinese carmakers, which can often build electric vehicles faster and more cheaply.

Ferrari says it will continue to make petrol and hybrid cars as well as electric ones. The Luce shows that Ferrari wants to join the electric future, but it must do this without losing the identity that made the brand famous.

Ferrari Shows Its First Electric Car

Level 4 Article Source: bbc.com
Warm-up → or → Check Understanding → Language → Use It

A car on a city street.
Ferrari's Luce.

Ferrari has revealed its first fully electric car, the Luce, a luxury sports car expected to cost about $640,000. The name means “light” in Italian. The car is unusual for Ferrari because it is also the company’s first five-seater.

The Luce looks very different from a traditional Ferrari. Its design has divided opinion online. Some people praised it as a brave and modern step forward. Others said the company had made a serious mistake and moved too far away from the classic Ferrari style.

Investors also seemed worried. After the launch, Ferrari’s share price fell in both Italy and the United States. This suggests that some people are unsure whether an electric Ferrari can protect the company’s powerful brand image.

Ferrari says the car took about five years to develop. It has one electric motor on each wheel and can reach 60 mph, or 96 km/h, in about 2.5 seconds. The company says it makes the main parts itself, which should make repairs easier in the future and help protect the car’s resale value.

The launch comes at a difficult time for electric vehicles. Some major carmakers have slowed their EV plans because demand has been weaker than expected. Several luxury car brands are now focusing more on hybrid cars, which use both petrol and electricity.

Another challenge is competition from Chinese carmakers, which can often build electric vehicles faster and more cheaply.

Ferrari says it will continue to make petrol and hybrid cars as well as electric ones. The Luce shows that Ferrari wants to join the electric future, but it must do this without losing the identity that made the brand famous.

Speaker: Australian Male  Duration: 2:00  YouTube

Listen Closely

Listen and Fill Gaps

Listen to the audio on eslnewsstories.com and complete the gaps below:

Ferrari has revealed its first fully electric car, the Luce, a (1) sports car expected to cost about $640,000. The name means “light” in Italian. The car is unusual for Ferrari because it is also the company’s first five-seater.

The Luce looks very different from a traditional Ferrari. Its design has (2) opinion online. Some people praised it as a brave and modern step forward. Others said the company had made a serious mistake and moved too far away from the classic Ferrari style.

Investors also seemed worried. After the launch, Ferrari’s share price fell in both Italy and the United States. This suggests that some people are unsure whether an electric Ferrari can protect the company’s powerful (3) image.

Ferrari says the car took about five years to develop. It has one electric motor on each wheel and can reach 60 mph, or 96 km/h, in about 2.5 seconds. The company says it makes the main parts itself, which should make (4) easier in the future and help protect the car’s resale value.

The launch comes at a difficult time for electric vehicles. Some major carmakers have slowed their EV plans because (5) has been weaker than expected. Several luxury car brands are now focusing more on hybrid cars, which use both petrol and electricity.

Another challenge is (6) from Chinese carmakers, which can often build electric vehicles faster and more cheaply.

Ferrari says it will continue to make petrol and hybrid cars as well as electric ones. The Luce shows that Ferrari wants to join the electric future, but it must do this without losing the (7) that made the brand famous.

Listen and Fill Gaps

Loading listening activity...

Discussion Builder

  1. Q: Do you think Ferrari made a brave decision or a mistake with the Luce?

    A:

  2. Q: Why do you think some carmakers are focusing more on hybrids right now?

    A:

  3. Q: Can a company modernize without losing what made it famous?

    A:
Use It

Discussion Builder

Choose the best phrase for each gap:

  1. Q: Do you think Ferrari made a brave decision or a mistake with the Luce?

    A: Ferrari took a real risk, but it had to try something new at some point.

    If you ask me, / For example, / Because of that, / But,

    If you ask me, Ferrari took a real risk, but it had to try something new at some point.

  2. Q: Why do you think some carmakers are focusing more on hybrids right now?

    A: Many carmakers are pushing hybrids right now EV demand is still weak.

    and / because / but / so

    Many carmakers are pushing hybrids right now because EV demand is still weak.

  3. Q: Can a company modernize without losing what made it famous?

    A: A company can modernize over time. it still needs a clear identity that people recognize.

    Also, / That said, / For example, / Because of that,

    A company can modernize over time. That said, it still needs a clear identity that people recognize.

Sentence Unscramble

Sentence Unscramble

  1. A. almost as much as B. quality C. good design D. does. E. For expensive products, F. matters

    For expensive products, good design matters almost as much as quality does.

  2. A. felt truly B. the car C. unique. D. if E. price F. that kind of G. I would only pay

    I would only pay that kind of price if the car felt truly unique.

  3. A. more special B. but C. still feel D. petrol sports cars E. people like them, F. I get why G. to me.

    I get why people like them, but petrol sports cars still feel more special to me.

Discussion Questions
  1. What was your first reaction to Ferrari’s electric car?
  2. Do you think Ferrari made a brave decision or a mistake with the Luce?
  3. How important is design when people buy expensive products?
  4. Why do you think some carmakers are focusing more on hybrids right now?
  5. How serious is competition from Chinese carmakers for older for older carmakers?
  6. Can a company modernize without losing what made it famous?
  7. Would you ever pay a very high price for a car? Why or why not?
  8. Do electric cars feel exciting to you, or do they feel less special than petrol sports cars?
  9. What products in your country have a strong brand image?
  10. What makes a car brand feel special to people?

Discussion Questions

  1. What was your first reaction to Ferrari’s electric car?
  2. Do you think Ferrari made a brave decision or a mistake with the Luce?
  3. How important is design when people buy expensive products?
  4. Why do you think some carmakers are focusing more on hybrids right now?
  5. How serious is competition from Chinese carmakers for older for older carmakers?
  6. Can a company modernize without losing what made it famous?
  7. Would you ever pay a very high price for a car? Why or why not?
  8. Do electric cars feel exciting to you, or do they feel less special than petrol sports cars?
  9. What products in your country have a strong brand image?
  10. What makes a car brand feel special to people?

Answers Ferrari Shows Its First Electric Car / Level 4

Listening: (1) luxury, (2) divided, (3) brand, (4) repairs, (5) demand, (6) competition, (7) identity

Main Idea: Ferrari is trying to enter the electric future without losing the identity that made its brand famous.

True or False:

  1. True. The first paragraph says the Luce is unusual for Ferrari because it is the company’s first five-seater.
  2. False. The third paragraph says Ferrari’s share price fell in both Italy and the United States after the launch.
  3. True. The fifth paragraph says several luxury car brands are now focusing more on hybrid cars because EV demand has been weaker than expected.

Multiple Choice: a, b, c, c

Vocabulary:

  1. Reveal: a new model
  2. Divide: opinion
  3. Protect: brand image
  4. Make: repairs easier
  1. Slow: EV plans
  2. Focus on: hybrid cars
  3. Join: the electric future
  4. Lose: its identity

Discussion Builder:

Hints: 1) Opinion. 2) Reason. 3) Contrast.

  1. If you ask me,
  2. because
  3. That said,

Sentence Unscramble:

  1. For expensive products, good design matters almost as much as quality does.
  2. I would only pay that kind of price if the car felt truly unique.
  3. I get why people like them, but petrol sports cars still feel more special to me.

eslnewsstories.com