5 days ago
Meet Dacora: The American EV Brand Challenging Rolls-Royce's Throne
You may not have heard of Dacora, but its ambition is just as loud as its desired competitors from Europe.
The First Female-Founded Luxury Car Brand
With classic 1930s styling, a Pininfarina-designed coachbuilt body, and over 800 electric horsepower, new luxury EV startup Decora has officially launched, announcing its ambitious entry to the ultra-luxury segment where it plans to take on the likes of Rolls-Royce and Bentley.
Founded by MIT-trained engineers Kristie and Eric D'Ambrosio-Correll, with the former acting as the carmaker's CEO, Dacora claims to be the first female-founded and led automotive brand, touting over 30 years of combined experience in product design, systems engineering, and hardware innovation. The company is backed by Female Founders Fund, an early-stage venture firm focused on women-led businesses.
But what about the product? It's still unnamed, but it will be an American-made (and American-sourced, apparently), pure-electric EV with an eye-popping $500,000 price tag.
What Is Dacora's First Model?
Apart from the nostalgic, albeit polarizing style, the Dacora EV features heritage wood options allowing personal material integration, swappable upholstery collections you can replace twice a year (including seasonal materials like wool and linen), an adjustable floor system for ergonomic precision, and modular seating (3 to 7 seats) with independent lighting and climate controls.
In short, the half-a-million EV offers Rolls-Royce levels of customization, with a fully modular interior that's reconfigurable even after purchase.
No plastic is used in the interior, with Dacora only offering hardwoods, woven wool, and hand-stitched leathers as options. A non-touchscreen infotainment display is hidden behind a semi-transparent wooden panel, while mechanical dials and switches are present for controls.
800 HP & 400 Miles: Can It Really Beat Rolls-Royce?
Dacora has yet to provide any specific details about its EV's specifications, but has declared promising estimates. The overall output is rated at over 800 hp, while the all-electric range is rated at 400 miles – numbers that surpass the Rolls-Royce Spectre.
Customers who don't want pure electric propulsion can also opt for a hybrid setup, though details of the combustion engine to be used were not disclosed.
Dacora promises an extraordinary customer experience to go with its vehicles. A 100-acre Hudson Valley Garage with production, design atelier, guest accommodations, and immersive experiences will open in 2026. Vehicles are sold by concierge appointment only, with each customer assigned a personal advisor for commissioning and customization. Owners will also receive symbolic keys granting access to exclusive events and behind-the-scenes experiences.
With no delivery date disclosed, Dacora said that reservations for its first model have already exceeded 150% of planned first-year production. On its website, Dacora requires a fully refundable $50,000 deposit for customers to secure their reservations.
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