Italian Design House Readies Modified Tesla, Limited-Edition EVs

Italian designer Umberto Palermo has launched a new company called Mole that plans to produce its own high-end electric vehicles along with customized versions of existing models such as the Tesla Model S.

The boutique coachbuilder will unveil the Luce concept next month at the Turin auto show. It also will display the Valentino, a one-off Model S knockoff, during the event.

The Luce coupe was designed by Mole from the ground up. Featuring a sleek design and tubular chassis with recyclable composite body panels, the concept car weighs just 2,600 lbs. Its electric drivetrain delivers 288 hp and 272 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels.

Mole plans to use the show to gauge interest in a production version of the Luce. If it moves forward with the plan, the company would build 30-90 of the vehicles for sale in Europe, Japan and the U.S.

Commissioned by an unnamed customer, the Valentino sedan gets a more muscular design than the Model S and replaces that vehicle’s aluminum body panels with carbon fiber. Styling highlights include a deeper front bumper, oversized splitter, 22-inch alloy wheels, Lamborghini-like Y-shaped spokes and a unique grille framed by piano black trim. Rear features include a trunk-mounted spoiler, blacked-out taillights and a huge air diffuser.

The Tesla-sourced, rear-drive electric drivetrain generates 421 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque. Its driving range is listed at 315 miles, which is 15 miles farther than the top Model S 90D variant.