Luka EV gets design refresh before the start of production
This classic-looking electric car from the Czech EV start-up MW Motors was revealed quite a while back. The company sprung to the automotive scene back in 2018 with its classic car-inspired Luka EV, and the design and technology were interesting then, but the company decided to refresh both just before the car heads for production.
The initial design has changed - gone are the Karmann inspired grilles in favor of fully covered front with vertical stripes pretending to be an air intake. The big wrap-around bumpers are gone and are replaced with more classic looking corner pieces in highly polished chrome.
The mirrors have been significantly improved, now they remind us of old Porsche 911 items back from the 70s and that is a good look. The company reworked the rear of the car as well to accommodate a wider track and the rear bumper is much smaller now.
There are some changes happening on the inside of this classic body; the interior has been reworked, there are new, larger seats, and apparently there is a new and much improved dashboard. The company did not provide any photos though, so we need to take their word for it.
The biggest differences are hiding under that FRP body. When Luka EV debuted 4 years ago, the car was revolutionary with its four in-wheel electric motors. The company has ditched that idea, and the production model will feature a water-cooled single electric motor powering rear wheels.
The entire mechanical setup has been upgraded - there is new suspension for better handling and there are new bigger brakes. There is a new, faster steering rack in place as well and there are other chassis improvements as well but again, the company did not share details on those.
The changes addressed the rather worrying power output of the initial design, despite having four electric motors, the original combined power output was rather disappointing at 66 hp. Water cooled electric motor signals a decent power upgrade and the handling will be more fun with all that power going only to the rear wheels.
The first vehicles will be homologated in the first half of the next year and the company plans to start taking orders around the same time. The starting price of €40,000 is not excessive but it isn’t low either. The company has quite a bit of experience in making electric cars, until recently it was selling an electric version of the Russian UAZ Hunter but the demand has dried out following the war in Ukraine.
