AEHRA Aims To Revolutionize Car Design For The Electric Era

Cars were much more adventurous up until the 1920s and 1930s. Then they settled into a format that is familiar to this day. The motor sits at the front, in its own compartment, and the rest of the car is built around that. Only limited divergence with mid-engine sportscars and the Porsche 911s persists. But electric cars don’t have a big motor in the same way as those using internal combustion engines. So why do EV designs obey the same rules? This was the theory behind AEHRA’s rethinking of car layout. I talked to founder Hazim Nada about what makes his company’s vehicles different.

“I am a pilot and a parachutist,” says Nada. “From those hobbies, I developed a vertical wind tunnel in Italy that for many years was the biggest in the world. It is still the biggest in Europe.” Nada had worked in finance with energy commodities but wanted to build something with more lasting impact. His experience with aerodynamics made him question existing car design. “The key question was why electric vehicles still had such a long hood, where you sacrifice cabin space and aerodynamics for a front that is seldom used. Some electric cars have a frunk, but generally the architecture is the same one that was developed for the optimization of the internal combustion engine. This is not an architecture that was designed to optimize electric vehicles.”

“We thought that this had to change,” continues Nada. “That’s why we started this project. Our focus is not on performance, but on the design side – the shape and all the elements that come out of it. We are near the point where all electric vehicles that are coming out will match the range and power needs of any potential type of usage. So the question remains as to what else will the customer search for. We think it’s all the elements that we’re focusing on – an emotional design, a cabin that is more spacious within the same vehicle dimensions, driving dynamics, materials, the weight of the vehicle.”

The first product to be launched out of this approach is AEHRA’s SUV, which doesn’t really look like a member of this genre at all. It has much greater family resemblance to a “cab-forward” supercar that is a bit taller than it should be. It will also come with a six-figure price. “We’re a European company, and European brands represent ultra-premium,” explains Nada. He argues that incumbent European luxury automakers are lagging behind in the EV market, leaving a gap that his company intends to fill. “The shape we are using also addresses the shortfalls of a boxy SUV more than other types of vehicles. We wanted to start with the SUV because it has the most striking contrast with existing designs.”

“This is a big vehicle, but it doesn’t look like a big vehicle,” continues Nada. “It has an internal cabin space that is bigger than any vehicle of comparable external dimensions. We can easily fit four full-sized NBA players in our car. It’s less than 5.1m long, similar to an Audi e-tron or other standard SUV and slightly shorter than a Lamborghini Urus, but with substantially more cabin space.”

Another innovation will be in weight. “We will be the first to completely build a vehicle of this size with SMC (sheet molding compound), where carbon fibers are stamped with presses similar to metal,” says Nada. “The result is a vehicle that can be scaled up to large production, but also carries over the benefits of carbon fibers. This gives us between 15 and 20% of weight savings compared to a traditional vehicle, an increase in stiffness and in structural strength, and allows us to create the shapes that we are focusing on.” This is enabling AEHRA to target a vehicle weight of 2 tons, where comparable SUVs, even non-electric ones, can be 2.5-3 tons. This will be even more impressive considering AEHRA’s intention to fit 120kWh batteries. “We’re pushing the envelope away from aluminum onto composites,” says Nada. “We will use aluminum only for the crash elements.” This weight saving is one of the secrets behind AEHRA’s claim that its SUV will achieve 500 miles from its 120kWh battery and a similar 0.21Cd drag coefficient to a Tesla Model S.

From the beginning of March, AEHRA’s engineering team will be led by Ferrari veteran and former Lotus Chief Engineer Franco Cimatti, who is highly experienced in creating exotic vehicles from combinations of available components. AEHRA isn’t aiming to innovate significantly for motor or battery, choosing best-in-breed options from third-party suppliers for both, although the company will be focusing on local suppliers, particularly for its batteries. “We are aiming to source 100% of our powertrain components from suppliers based in European countries,” says Nada. Much of this will be off the shelf, although the company will be developing its huge full-width infotainment display in-house, because it will be so unique. This is another feature that is enabled by the short nose, which provides a very deep dashboard.

This huge screen indicates another direction for the automotive industry, towards vehicles that provide entertainment while the car drives itself. AEHRA is aiming for Level 4 autonomy, however, rather than Level 5 full self-driving. The cars will come with the requisite sensors, but purchasers will need to specify an option with the necessary processing power for a future Level 4 software update. However, AEHRA still wants its vehicles to have enjoyable driving dynamics. The aim is to provide the interior space and luxury of SUVs such as the Bentley Bentayga, but with much greater agility thanks to the lower weight and balanced chassis distribution.

AEHRA hopes to reach 25,000 units a year by 2027 across its three models, which will include a sedan and a future 2+2 grand tourer. The latter will further develop AEHRA’s philosophy, providing the cabin space of a BMW 3-series but inside the shape of a supercar, and with greater affordability. Nevertheless, AEHRA isn’t going to be challenging the mass market of EVs. Its 25,000-unit target is a far cry from the 1.3 million cars Tesla delivered in 2022. But the company’s innovations could have repercussions beyond those who directly purchase its products. By rethinking car design around the kind of powertrain that is looking set to dominate the automotive industry from now on – electrification – AEHRA could help herald a new era. After all, that’s where the name comes from – a combination of era and aerodynamics. It’s another example of how EVs are radically disrupting the car world.