The Italians know how to design. You can see that immediately in the Aehra E-Crossover, whose silhouette looks like a Lamborghini on stilts. No wonder, after all, Filippo Perini, who is responsible for the shape of the Stromer, has been wielding the pencil at the sports car manufacturer for years. The minimal overhangs and the short, slightly curved front are more associated with a classic V12 rear mid-engine racer than with a BEV SUV. “Why do electric cars always have to look like those with combustion engines?” asks Aehra founder Hazim Nada.
No answer is necessary to this rhetorical question. We prefer to let the facts speak for themselves. The e-crossover is around 5.1 meters long, around 1.64 meters high and has a wheelbase of 3 meters. “Four NBA players fit in there,” says Hazim Nada and smiles meaningfully when we reply that it makes a difference whether it’s smaller builders or monstrous centers. The gates to the spacious interior are provided with high-opening doors. The interior is still covered with black foiled panes, but the operating concept should be innovative and use the generous space of the wide dashboard. It will be interesting to see how the implementation looks like.
Nada Hazim is not a car guy. The Aehra CEO was born in the USA, has a degree in theoretical physics from the renowned University of Cambridge and a PhD in applied mathematics from Imperial College London. The 40-year-old CEO of the start-up cannot do without mobility entirely. He has a pilot’s license and owns a wind tunnel. This also explains the approach behind the Aehra E-Crossover, which is primarily about weight and aerodynamics and parts such as the motors or the battery are bought in. It has not yet been decided which e-machines Aehra wants to use. A supplier only offers units with 200 kW / 272 hp each, so there could be three units and 600 kW / 816 hp. If another supplier wins the race, the car will have two engines with a total of 550 kW / 748 hp.
“The battery has 120 kilowatt hours,” says Hazim Nada and says that he is in talks with two non-European providers. The goal is a range of around 800 kilometers to advance into regions of Lucid. The voltage is 850 volts, so fast charging times are guaranteed. Despite these powerful batteries, the Aehra SUV should weigh less than two tons. That’s why the technicians rely on composite materials such as SMC (Sheet Molding Compound) or carbon fiber. In order to achieve the targeted production figure of 25,000 units per year, short fibers are used that are pressed at high pressure and not baked. Sustainable materials are a concept that runs through the entire car.
The Aehra E-SUV will have a very rigid body and the base structure will only weigh around 170 kilograms. Rear-axle steering helps with agility and the desired drag coefficient of 0.21 with range. Nice to see the Italians achieve that with a handsome rear end and no ducktail spoiler. Breaking new ground is important to Hazim Nada, which is why the CEO went to universities to hire talented engineers. Another important point is quality assurance during and after production. At Aehra, they know how important solid workmanship is, especially for a start-up, in order to prevent the Tesla gap effect.
Hazim Nada’s door-to-door service isn’t over yet. Money is needed to turn these lofty plans into reality. Lot of money. Two investors have already expressed interest and the first round of fundraising seems secured. If all goes well, it shouldn’t stop with the SUV, which will be launched in 2025 and will cost around $180,000. It shouldn’t stay that way. Nada Hazim is planning a sedan to be unveiled next year, coming after the e-crossover. Both vehicles share the self-developed platform and around 75 percent of the components. This keeps the costs within limits. But we have already seen many interesting concepts and heard ambitious plans – keywords Byton and Faraday Future. The fight for the sinecure has also flared up in electric vehicles and the market is not unlimited.
