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Swiss electric vehicle startup Piech has hired some big guns to help bring its zero-emission performance cars to market.
The company last week announced the hiring of Manfred Fitzgerald as chairman and Tobias Moers as chief technology officer, both veterans of the industry. Both executives will also share the role of CEO at Piech.
Manfred Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald replaces Matthias Müller, a former Volkswagen Group CEO who was only with Piech for 11 months. Fitzgerald’s last role was as head of Genesis, but perhaps more important to Piech is his time spent at Lamborghini. Fitzgerald spent 12 years at Lamborghini as its head of brand and design, a role in which he helped turn Lamborghini into the globally successful brand it is today.
Moers joins Piech following a brief and somewhat rocky stint as CEO of Aston Martin. Moers greatest success has been with Mercedes-Benz AMG. Under his leadership, he helped to double AMG’s product portfolio and quadruple its sales, as well as lay the groundwork for the current expansion into EVs.
Tobias Moers
Piech, co-founded by a son of Ferdinand Piëch and backed by PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, first made headlines in 2019 when it presented the striking Mark Zero concept at the Geneva auto show, an electric grand tourer with sultry lines reminiscent of classic Aston Martins.
The company last fall said the production version of the Mark Zero was on track for launch in mid-2024, after which a crossover and 2+2 coupe would be added. The cars would all use a bespoke platform developed in-house at Piech.
Piech Mark Zero concept
For the production Mark Zero, Piech promises a trio of electric motors generating 603 hp, and a 75-kwh battery good for a range approaching 300 miles on a charge. According to Piech, an 80% charge will be possible in just eight minutes using a DC fast charger.
“With Manfred Fitzgerald and Tobias Moers, two established authorities from the sophisticated and rapidly evolving world of sports cars and automotive luxury brands join the Piëch team,” Toni Piëch, Piech’s co-founder, said in a statement. “Both have a proven and enviable track record in this segment and possess extensive knowledge, an adept sense of how to communicate with exclusive customers and a distinct understanding of luxury brands.”