Pininfarina in talks for new electric platform
Automobili Pininfarina is planning a full series of further electric models, such as an SUV and a sedan, to follow its fully-electric super sports car Battista presented in March. According to the CEO, the brand now wants to develop a platform for these models.
As CEO Michael Perschke told media representatives, the brand is currently in talks with partners to create a platform for electric cars. The new models are expected to be launched in less than three years.
“It’s our clear strategic intent is to become a significant player in the hypercar and super-luxury segment,” said Perschke. “We have a very clear intent to not remain a one-hit-wonder.” For the new models, Perschke is targeting a price segment between 200,000 and 400,000 euros.
Automobili Pininfarina’s electric cars are to be equipped with 100 to 125 kWh battery capacity in order to achieve ranges up to 600 kilometres. Perschke is planning a kind of “skateboard” platform on which various modular superstructures can be mounted. The platform is to be developed together with partners in order to keep development costs low – later it could also be offered to other manufacturers.
Such a “skateboard” drive platform has recently become fashionable again for electric cars – MEB from Volkswagen and the PPE architecture from Porsche and Audi use the same principle. Perschke told reporters that cooperation with the VW group and a takeover of PPE were out of the question: The height of the platform is not sufficient for the SUV planned by Pininfarina.
Potential customers should be able to decide which body shape will be implemented first. Interested parties will be shown various designs based on earlier Pininfarina concepts. The first action of this kind will take place in a few weeks at the Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach.
At the Geneva Motor Show, Pininfarina presented the Battista, a fully electric super sports car. Thanks to four electric motors, the 2.2 million euro car is expected to deliver 1,400 kW and accelerate to 100 km/h in less than two seconds. The drive was developed by the Croatian company Rimac, the 120 kWh battery should last for 450 kilometres. The series version is to be unveiled in Pebble Beach. As Perschke has now revealed, almost half of the planned 150 Battista have been sold or reserved.
Automobili Pininfarina, based in Munich, belongs to the Indian conglomerate Mahindra & Mahindra. For this reason, the former Mahindra Formula E pilot and former Formula 1 driver Nick Heidfeld was also involved in the development. The Italian design company Pininfarina SpA also belongs to the Indian company, although it is operationally independent of the electric car manufacturer.
0 Comments