AEHRA names ex-Ferrari engineer as Chief Engineering Officer

Italian electric vehicle manufacturer AEHRA has appointed former-Ferrari engineer Franco Cimatti as its Chief Engineering Officer.

Cimatti, 64, joins AEHRA from Lotus, where his remit as Senior Chief Engineer included responsibility for the development of next-generation EV architecture for the brand’s lifestyle vehicles, including SUVs. Prior to that, Cimatti spent 32 years with Ferrari. During his extensive tenure with the Italian sportscar company, he oversaw all road testing development and production release for more than four years, before becoming Vehicle Concepts and Predevelopment Director in 1994.

For the next 24 years, Cimatti was entrusted with the strategic planning, concept creation, feasibility analysis and preliminary engineering design of all future Ferrari models. From 2007, Cimatti was also intensely involved with Ferrari’s electrification program, a discipline he continued to passionately exercise following his promotion to Ferrari Vehicle Concepts Advanced Research Director and again later at Lotus.

Commenting on his appointment as AEHRA Chief Engineering Officer, Franco Cimatti said: “Joining AEHRA represents a tremendously exciting opportunity to work for a company that is delivering a true breakthrough in premium electric vehicles. At AEHRA, co-founder Hazim Nada and his team are creating something utterly unique and breathtakingly original. And that’s evident not just from the product, but also from AEHRA’s radical approach to production with its asset-light manufacturing model and its determination to transform the entire customer experience.

“I am highly motivated to join AEHRA’s fledgling but exceptionally talented team. I relish the opportunity to work for a small, ultra-agile company where I can make an impact quickly, while helping recruit and build an engineering division. I look forward to working with the AEHRA team to transform Hazim’s vision into a production reality. I have known AEHRA Chief Design Officer Filippo Perini since 2000 and have always appreciated his holistic approach to design and engineering. I am confident that together we will swiftly develop strong synergies to elevate AEHRA to the next level.”

Commenting on Cimatti’s appointment, AEHRA co-founder and CEO Hazim Nada said: “Since launching AEHRA, we have been determined to recruit people of only the highest possible caliber. This approach has enabled AEHRA to progress rapidly and surpass all our strategic milestones. The appointment of Franco Cimatti as Chief Engineering Officer personifies AEHRA’s strategy of hiring the very best of the best.”

“Franco is famed throughout the automotive industry for his visionary approach to engineering. His knowledge of the global automotive sector and supply partners, coupled with his expertise in electric mobility, will prove invaluable for the expansion of AEHRA’s asset-light manufacturing ecosystem. Franco’s ability to seamlessly merge the implementation of a cohesive overarching product development strategy with hands-on, granular attention to every single detail is legendary. Equally so is the roster of groundbreaking Ferrari models, and the technological firsts they featured, brought to fruition under his watch.

“During his career to date, Franco has delivered an incredible 116 engineering patents. The creation of IP is an essential asset for any startup. With Franco, we look forward to building further on the patents AEHRA has already filed through the delivery of the transformative design and technological features of our vehicles.”