Ferrari's first electric car fetches record $40m at charity auction

Ferrari's first ever electric car has fetched $40m (£29.5m) in a charity sale, setting a record for a new vehicle sold at auction.

The sale of the Ferrari Luce - brainchild of the British iPhone designer Sir Jony Ive - raised more than 35 times the usual price of the car at the event at RM Sotheby's in California.

The Luce faced a backlash when it was launched in May. Some commentators said it strayed from the marque's traditional designs and lost part of the brand's identity by being battery-powered and having five seats.

Sotheby's said all proceeds of the sale will be donated to the Ferrari Foundation's educational programmes.

Sotheby's did not name the buyer of the custom Luce which features a unique finish and bespoke parts.

The BBC has contacted the auction house and Ferrari for comment.

The unveiling of the Luce was seen as one of the biggest launches of a new car in recent years.

It marked the prancing horse's first entry into the electric vehicle (EV) market - a sector dominated by Elon Musk's Tesla and China's carmakers.