{"id":353059,"date":"2019-12-07T15:08:35","date_gmt":"2019-12-07T15:08:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/?p=353059"},"modified":"2024-09-07T13:54:37","modified_gmt":"2024-09-07T13:54:37","slug":"pininfarina-battista","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/pininfarina-battista\/","title":{"rendered":"2020 Automobili Pininfarina Battista"},"content":{"rendered":"

2019 Pininfarina Battista<\/h1>\n
Contents<\/strong>
\nItalian Heritage<\/a>
\nEngine & Performance<\/a>
\nChassis & Handling<\/a>
\nDesign & Interior<\/a>
\nPricing<\/a>
\nTechnical Specs<\/a>
\nGallery & Videos<\/a>
\nOfficial Press Release<\/a><\/div>\n

When the Pininfarina Battista<\/a> was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2019, it was touted as the first fully-electric hypercar. Having been teased with bits and pieces up to that point, the Battista would finally secure its place in history as the first complete amalgamation of a zero-emissions hypercar.<\/p>\n

Like the car itself, delivery of the first examples are coming in faster than you can blink, with customers told to expect their cars no later than the third quarter of 2020. Before we know it, an automobile which could revolutionize the way we travel will be taking center stage.  <\/p>\n

Rapid this all may feel, though the journey to get to this point involves a history rich in automotive milestones and has been decades in the making. The Battista represents both the legacy and future of Pininfarina.<\/p>\n

Italian Heritage<\/h3>\n

Nearly 90 years ago, Pininfarina<\/a> had relatively humble beginnings as an Italian design and engineering consultancy. The company is best known for their flourishing relationship with Ferrari, as it would end up designing more than 60 iconic sports cars over the decades, in collaboration with the Prancing Horse marque. <\/p>\n

The 308, F40, Enzo and 458 Italia; Pininfarina has been responsible for the styling of such legendary cars – and so many more – which have come to define the Ferrari brand. Fast forward to the present day, and Pininfarina has its sights set on a new endeavour – producing a car they can call their very own. <\/p>\n

This car is the future, unlike anything ever made before it. However, it is also still relatable to the traditionally trained palate. Its powertrain may be evolutionary, but its appearance is classically Pininfarina. <\/p>\n

Here enters the Pininfarina Battista. <\/p>\n

Rebirth and Evolution<\/h3>\n

Eventually, Pininfarina would succumb to tough times during the 2008 global economic recession. On the verge of bankruptcy and capitulation, the company would eventually be acquired by a new ownership entity under the direction of Anand Mahindra, known as the Mahindra Group.<\/p>\n

Mahindra had a vision for the company which far exceeded a simple injection of capital, and more spinning of the same old wheel. Amongst many bold decisions, he would eventually create Automobili Pininfarina, a branch which operates independently from the main company – which continued on as a design and engineering consultancy – with the primary objective of producing standalone cars under the Pininfarina brand. <\/p>\n

The financial backing of its parent company would allow Pininfarina and its divisions to procure the services of the industry\u2019s brightest engineers, designers, and business people – arguably none more so than the new CEO of Automobili Pininfarina, Michael Perschke, who is a former Audi, Mercedes and BMW executive.<\/p>\n

When asked about how the brand would achieve its goals as a successful automaker, Perschke noted, “We don’t need to claim that we know how to make beautiful cars. It’s just confidence that we have. You cannot buy the sort of provenance and brand heritage that is behind Pininfarina – generations of creating stunning cars with beauty, purity and rarity.”<\/p>\n

It is quite clear by now, that the Pininfarina Battista does more than enough to back up those remarks.<\/p>\n

Pininfarina Battista<\/h3>\n

I doubt that anyone would be offended – least of all, Pininfarina – if the Battista was mistaken as \u2018just another\u2019 one of Ferrari\u2019s super cars. Afterall, the design elements are deliberately signature from the company; and that\u2019s really the best part of it all.<\/p>\n

Beneath the silhouette lies something less familiar – the absence a typically mid-mounted combustion engine, for one. The Ferrari\u2026. I mean\u2026. Pininfarina Battista is fully-electric, and beyond that very notion, things only start to get even more crazy.<\/p>\n

The Battista utilizes 4 motors – one for each wheel – which produce a combined 1,900-horsepower and 1696 ft-lb of torque. That level of performance and technological sophistication won\u2019t come cheap either, with each car priced at around $2.3 million USD.<\/p>\n

The decision for Automobili Pininfarina to start producing electric cars right off the bat came relatively easy for the company, which was not tied down by a past involving the combustion engine – they could begin their journey with a clean (no pun intended) slate. <\/p>\n

“We saw a window of opportunity here,” said Perschke. “We’re at a tipping point where EVs (electric vehicles) are becoming more acceptable, and yet we don’t have to manage a transition to being an electric car manufacturer. From the start, 100% of our vehicles will be zero-emission.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Pininfarina Battista will be delivered to its first customer by mid-2020, which coincides with the 90th anniversary of Pininfarina.<\/p>\n

Electric Forefather<\/h3>\n

There\u2019s no mistaking it; the Battista is here to make a statement on behalf of the Pininfarina brand. However, it is not going to represent the fledgling automaker on its own. <\/p>\n

If anyone had a notion that the Pininfarina Battista would be a one-off, Perschke iterates, “…we’re not creating a company just to do one car, either. By 2023 or 2024, we will have three or four models in our range, competing with Aston Martin and Bentley.” <\/p>\n

There are already plans to make a range of automobiles, with some models starting for as little as $110,000 USD – with \u201caccessible and conventional\u201d in mind, the line up will involve more than just sports cars and will showcase some versatility.<\/p>\n

“We could look at other types of vehicles, including even a crossover or SUV. But the key is that they will all have the purity of Italian design. Electrification will help with this.\u201d says Perschke.<\/p>\n

At the moment the Pininfarina Battista is built on a proprietary chassis and battery layout, so there really is not anything like it in the world. However, Pininfarina is already looking to license the use of its design to other companies, which means that other automakers could create their own products based on the Pininfarina\u2019s in-house blueprint.<\/p>\n

While ultimately a decision aimed to profit the company and its investors, such a move would still very much provide an \u2018open source\u2019 gateway for the industry with regards to technological access, which in itself is a revolutionary idea. It\u2019d be like the Linux of operating systems.<\/p>\n

Engine & Performance<\/h2>\n

Performance Snapshot<\/strong><\/p>\n