Ultra-premium electric automotive brand AEHRA has appointed Franco Cimatti as chief engineering officer, responsible for leading the technical development of the company’s first SUV and sedan models, due for delivery in 2025.
Cimatti brings with him more than 40 years of experience within the automotive engineering sector. In his previous position at Lotus, Cimatti worked as senior chief engineer on the OEM’s next-generation electric vehicle architecture. Before this, he spent 32 years at Ferrari where he managed all road-testing development and production release operations before becoming the Italian OEM’s director of vehicle concepts and predevelopment in 1994. Over the next 24 years, Cimatti dealt with the strategic planning, concept creation, feasibility analysis and preliminary engineering design of all future Ferrari vehicles. In 2007, he began work within Ferrari’s electrification program.
“Joining AEHRA represents a tremendously exciting opportunity to work for a company that is delivering a true breakthrough in premium electric vehicles,” commented Cimatti. “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.”
“Since launching AEHRA, we have been determined to recruit people of only the highest possible caliber,” explained Hazim Nada, co-founder and CEO, AEHRA. “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.”
