Hispano Suiza Returns to Roots With Luxury EV
Historic Spanish luxury brand Hispano Suiza hopes to return to automaking with the unveiling of a new all-electric grand tourer at next month’s Geneva Motor Show.
The move is a distant homage to the original vision of a Barcelona artillery captain who started building electric powered automobiles in 1898 before his company was acquired and became the luxury car builder that created some of the world’s most exclusive luxury vehicles available between 1904 and 1946.
Dubbed the ‘Carmen’ the new model claims to blend classic design with cutting edge technologies. Designed and developed in the Catalonian capital, the car is handcrafted based on a stiff, hand-laid carbon fiber monocoque chassis.
In a statement the company said the design drew inspiration from the Dubonnet Xenia, one of the most luxurious vehicles built by Hispano Suiza in 1938. In its heyday, Hispano Suiza built more than 12,000 luxury performance cars and 50,000 aeroplane engines. However, the new car will feature a custom-designed electric powertrain from the company’s production partner, QEV Technologies.
Also Barcelona based, QEV Technologies has a team of engineers with experience across design, engineering, R&D and claims a foundation in motorsport with Campos Racing and is also the technology arm of Mahindra Formula-E Racing, plus the European R&D facility for Chinese firm BAIC.
— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in London. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_
