Schenna e.motion: An electric road trip through the South Tyrolean countryside

For the past three years, the small village of Schenna, located above Merano, has been hosting “Schenna e.motion”—a rally that not only brings electric mobility to the roads but also fosters dialogue. Winding through the South Tyrolean countryside on twisting country roads, over Alpine passes, and through vineyards, the tour combines the joy of driving with the chance to connect with others. This was also the case on the first weekend of June 2026.

Following a joint e-tour through South Tyrol’s wine country, Marie-Kristin Wricke, known as Madame Electric, hosted the evening and the subsequent panel discussion. Among those in attendance were Markus Moroder, Sales Manager at Alpitronic; Felix Strohbach, Editor-in-Chief of arrive magazine; and Conrad Buck, Managing Director of Mars Orbiter.

The guest of honor at this year’s Schenna e.motion was Elisa Artioli, whose family has a special connection to the history of the Tesla Roadster and the Lotus Elise. Her grandfather, Romano Artioli, was the owner and CEO of Lotus when the lightweight sports car was developed. Elisa was not only the car’s namesake, but also sat in the cockpit as a two-year-old during the unveiling of the Lotus Elise, painted in Lotus Racing Green, at the 1995 IAA in Frankfurt—while photographers outside wondered who had been the first to step into the special car.

The Lotus Elise was considered a stroke of genius at the time: extremely lightweight, yet stable, agile, and fast. The aluminum chassis and the fiberglass-reinforced plastic body set new standards. The two Tesla founders, Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, were also impressed by this platform when they were looking for a base for the Tesla Roadster at the 2004 LA Auto Show. Shortly thereafter, they signed a contract with Lotus. Without the Lotus Elise, the Tesla Roadster would not have existed in its original form.

Elisa Artioli, who received the very last Elise to roll off the production line in 2022, brought this story full circle in a special way by signing the blue Tesla Roadster.