Netjets US Winter 2023

MOTORING ON
The Lotus Eletre.
Facing page: The Polestar 6.
© LOTUS
In contrast to the fire and noise of gas power, electric motors
bring to mind other qualities—quiet, efficiency, discretion—
that translate to a different expression.
The Polestar 6, due in 2026, represents a beautiful
interpretation of how the classic roadster translates in the EV
era. “This car is a meeting point between technology and art,
between precision and sculpture, with a determined but not
aggressive stance,” said Polestar’s head of design Maximilian
Missoni on its announcement.
That perennial favorite, the SUV, is another traditional model
ripe for reconsideration. Automobili Pininfarina, which as a
design studio was responsible for some of the 20th century’s
most beautiful cars and is now a luxury performance EV brand
in its own right, is billing its eye-catching Pura Vision concept
as an “e-LUV” (electric luxury utility vehicle), and it won’t be
the last effort to redefine this segment in the new era.
“Success in the new era of automotive luxury means taking a
design-first approach. That is the core of our value proposition,”
says Pininfarina’s chief design officer Dave Amantea. “EV
technology serves as an enabler for exceptional design rather
than imposing the need for an entirely new design paradigm.
Our job is to surprise and delight—we believe our purpose is to
understand the dreams of customers, then make them real.”
The Lexus LF-ZC concept makes use of next-gen battery
tech to achieve a 1,000km (621 miles) range, not as a highriding
SUV but a low-slung style for improved aerodynamics
and with a shorter bonnet, which also maximizes interior
space. Inside, the emphasis is on service (its voice-activated
system is called “Butler”), comfort and over-the-air tech
updates to suit the “lounge on wheels” trend that will develop
as autonomy advances.
The Lotus Eletre “hyper SUV” is already on the road, with
a sporty exterior design that plays on the brand’s famous
mid-engined roots alongside a distinctly future-facing
interior that has been carefully developed to meet high
consumer demands for technology and the ways in which it
should integrate into their digital lifestyles.
“Traditional luxury brands might take seven years-plus to
put a new product from clean sheet into the market. With
Lotus we are sub-four years, and that’s really to make sure
that the technology delivered to the customer is as up to date
as it can be,” explains Payne, whose multidisciplinary design
experience has proved to be an asset in the changing world
of car design. “I would suggest that the lifecycle of battery
electric vehicles is going to become closer to what you see in
the electronics industry.”
As established players jostle with emerging EV brands for
a slice of the action, design will play a key role not just in
brand identity, but in balancing the technological advances
with the emotional connection they once had with the internal
combustion engine. “How do we find a new way to give that
expression of performance?” asks Payne.
Over the rest of this decade, it will be fascinating to see how
that question will be answered.
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