The Mark Zero electric sports car concept from Piëch Automotive AG that debuted at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show has progressed to its next phase as a production model being developed under the GT project name. The next phase for the Zurich, Switzerland-based automaker startup coincides with a move from Munich to a new test center near Memmingen, Germany, enabling accelerated development.

“Despite the global COVID-19 pandemic, we have managed to overcome the resulting delays and keep our project fully on track,” said Toni Piëch, Co-founder and CEO of Piëch Automotive and Board Chairman of Piëch Holding AG. “The financing rounds to date have been successful, and we can now confidently continue our journey towards market launch.”

 

The development plan

With the relocation of the German development department to Memmingen in August, the team led by Klaus Schmidt, CEO/CTO of German affiliate Piëch Engineering GmbH, can now accelerate its work.

“We have a test track and the appropriate logistics at our disposal here, which will substantially advance the development of the Swiss sports car,” said Schmidt.

With more than 30 years heading up BMW’s high-performance department at M GmbH, Schmidt’s wealth of experience is said to have had a significant impact on the development and quality of the technical components and production of the first prototype.

“The second prototype will be completed by next March, with a further series of prototypes to follow before the end of 2022,” said Schmidt.

Based on the test results from these prototypes, another batch of prototypes will be built in 2023.

“Piëch is exactly following the tried-and-tested testing cycles of German premium manufacturers here, with trials in heat and dust, in sub-zero temperatures with ice and snow, and on demanding roads and racetracks such as the Nürburgring Nordschleife, to be able to meet our target of starting series production in 2024,” he added.

 

Financing a solid foundation

As the startup accelerates the development of its first car, the management team is continuing to evolve.

Helping steer the company from late 2020 was Matthias Müller, former CEO of Porsche and Volkswagen, worked as Chairman with company co-founders Toni Piëch, CEO, and Rea Stark Rajcic, CDO, in shaping the product development and corporate strategy. CEO and Chief Marketing Officer Andreas Henke, previously with Burmester and Porsche, took the lead on brand strategy and marketing, customer relationships, finance, and personnel.

Building on that foundation is recent addition is Dr. Timo Kauer, with Piëch Automotive from the beginning of 2021 and now taking on the role of Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

“We would also like to thank Mathias Müller and Andreas Henke, who prudently accompanied our young company in an important phase over several months and strongly advanced it,” said Piëch. “Andreas Henke will continue to support Piëch in his role as Special Advisor to the Chairman of the Board of Directors.”

While Series A funding closed with investor Peter Thiel on board, Swiss bank UBS is now acting as sole advisor on Series B to raise the capital required to launch the first production car. Kauer reported encouraging progress in the financing activities regarding upcoming Series B rounds.

“Together with the management team, we have focused on various core aspects of the company’s development as well as bringing in international thought leaders and advisors such as STJ Advisors, in addition to the major bank UBS, in order to optimally position ourselves for Series B fundraising,” he said.

“Piëch Automotive made a product promise at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show,” added Piëch. “Today we can proudly state that we can deliver on that promise. The entire vehicle concept, including the powertrain and battery, is in place. We were able to convince our investors that our concept is sound, that we are meeting all the milestones in our product development, and that the core processes work. The Piëch GT will be produced at the facilities of a renowned automobile manufacturer, and we are already targeting a production volume of 1200 vehicles in the first year.”

 

Show car design for production

The design of a production GT adheres closely to the lines of the Mark Zero concept car.

“We created a sports car with a timeless design, just like we would dream ourselves,” said Rajcic, summarizing the vision of the electric sports car. “And we spoke at length with car enthusiasts about what is missing on the market. The result was a modern classic that is not bound by any consumer cycles.”

The timeless design also highlights the long-term aspirations of the Swiss company, which intends for the GT to “bring a smile to the prospective owners’ faces regardless of the prevailing fashion trends.”

The two-seat GT is 4432 mm (174.5 in) long, 1991 mm (78.4 in) wide, and 1250 mm (49.2 in) tall on a 2620-mm (103.1-in) wheelbase. Targeted vehicle curb weight is less than 1800 kg (3970 lb), with a torsional stiffness of 42,900 N·m/degree.

“The new Piëch GT should convincingly transport the DNA of a classic sports car into the electric age,” said Rajcic.

To make this happen, the engineering team specified a three-motor powertrain. One synchronous motor produces 150 kW for the front axle, and two synchronous motors with 150 kW each provide output to the rear—so that a “sports car driving experience is guaranteed.” The powertrain has a total gear ratio of 8.5:1 for 16,000 rpm motor speed at 250 km/h (155 mph).

The arrangement of the batteries—one portion housed in the center tunnel, the rest on the rear axle—permits axle-load distributions for handling intended to mimic that of pure sports cars with internal combustion engines. In contrast to the widely used underfloor arrangement, the company says that this package enables a low seating position typical of a sports car as well as precise handling with immediate feedback to the driver.

The axle weight distribution is 40/60 front/rear. Output is fed to front and rear tires sized at 255/40-20 and 295/35-20 or 265/35-21 and 305/30-21.

 

Battery and charging innovations

The company says that the GT’s battery and battery-cell technology represent significant innovations. Battery cell development, which had originally started in China, has been shifted geographically closer to Europe.

“Thanks to close cooperation with our partner in China, we have found a solution that enables a full charge in less than 5 min,” said Schmidt. “Considering the later series production, and to ensure shorter procurement routes for the charging stations, Piëch decided to partner with German companies for the development.

All-electric GT’s 75-kW·h lithium-ion pouch-type battery is said to enable a WLTP range of 500 km (310 mi), an 8.5-C charging rate, and 0.6-g brake energy recovery capacities.

“Thanks to the reliable charging concept, the Piëch GT can be charged to 80% capacity in 8 min at any CCS2 fast-charging station,” said Schmidt. “A fast charger specially developed by TGOOD enables this process to be completed in under 5 min. This fast charger still has the same Desten cell as in the first prototype.”

The compact and robust pouch cells are said to enable easier thermal management. Combined with its approximate 450 kW output, this enables the GT to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in less than 3.0 s and 0 to 200 km/h (124 mph) in less than 9.0 s.

“The future clearly belongs to the pouch cells we use, both in terms of weight and fast-charging capability,” stated Schmidt. “We are particularly pleased that the battery developed especially for the Piëch [prototype] can also be employed for use in series production.”

 

In-house sales and external service partners

The company wants to ensure that the GT customer purchase experience offers a genuine Piëch brand and product touch right from the start, says Jochen Rudat, explaining the sales strategy for Piëch Automotive AG.

“That’s why we are relying on approximately 60 authentic in-house brand stores rather than a conventional franchise system,” said Rudat, once Tesla’s director for European business operations and now said to be the most important man in Piëch’s sales department. “We plan to establish and offer the Piëch GT in the most important European markets as well as in the USA, China, and other non-European markets. Only renowned companies with an outstanding and comprehensive service network will be considered as service partners.”

Interested buyers will soon be able to reserve their own GT, added Rudat.

 

Modular concept enables additional variants

Plans call for the flexible concept of the GT’s modular vehicle architecture to spawn further body variants in the model series, with the Piëch product family “gradually completed” with an electric SUV and sports sedan.

“Our modular concept not only gives us freedom in the design to create vehicles that are as attractive as possible but at the same time serves as a platform for all other body shapes,” elaborated Rajcic. “The initial focus is clearly on the two-seater Piëch GT sports car, while the sporty Piëch SUV brings additional volume in sales and the four-seater Piëch Sportlimousine offers more occupant space and round off the product range.”

“Not only are we flexible in terms of design and body shapes, but we are also keeping all options open when it comes to powertrains,” said Piëch, underlining his company’s unique approach. “We’re starting with electric cars, but our modular vehicle architecture would allow us to respond flexibly to corresponding developments and breakthroughs in the field of hydrogen or fuel cells.”

“We bring together vision with sustainability,” added Schmidt. “Sustainability shapes everything we do, from the development of the electric powertrain and the overall vehicle to production and sales. We don’t have to redevelop everything for future variants—and our Piëch GT is built for a long automotive life.”