The historic Italian brand is being transformed into an electric vehicle manufacturer by its parent company, Stellantis. We will have to wait at least a few years to have the brand’s first battery-powered model, but its first electric concept, the Pu+Ra HPE, is certainly worth getting excited about.
The Pu+Ra HPE may be the first Lancia with an electric powertrain, but any discussion of the prototype must begin with its old design. The first part of the concept name refers to the brand’s new “pure and radical” design language, and if this is what we expect, then sign up. The two-door sports car shares some elements with Lancia’s most famous car, the Stratos, including a wedge shape and round taillights. The rest, however, is all new. We’ve never seen such a smooth, aerodynamic shape from the automaker, and the new Y-shaped headlight cluster, a reinterpretation of the brand’s classic grille, on the front of the EV is impressive.
The concept may look surprising from the outside, but its appearance is even more impressive. The caƄin, which was designed in collaboration with Cassina, has a look inspired by Italian furniture design. The wide open space has a dashboard made from a single piece of glass, two freestanding armchair-inspired seats in the front, and a pair of round tables in the front and back where the center console would normally be. More than 70 percent of the “touch” surfaces in the interior are also made from eco-sustainable materials.
Details on the Pu-Ra HPE’s powertrain are scarce at the moment, but the second part of the concept’s name stands for High Performance Electric, and it looks like the EV will simply be that. Lancia may not have revealed production figures for the configuration, but it did say that the coupe will be able to travel 435 miles on a single charge. You’ll also be able to add 62 miles of range in just 10 minutes when connected to a fast charger.
Now comes the bad part. There are currently no plans to put the Pu-Ra HPE into production in the short term. We wouldn’t be surprised to see some elements carried over to the brand’s first battery-powered model, the Ypsilon hatchƄack, which is due to launch in 2026, according to Road &aмp. Clue. However, the electric vehicle we’re really looking forward to is the re𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 Delta, which is currently scheduled to arrive two years later.