Pininfarina Battista hits the road

The 1400kW Pininfarina Battista electric hypercar is about to hit the road for final tests ahead of first deliveries to customers early in 2021.

The most powerful Italian road-going sports car ever made, the Battista’s schedule for production has been pushed back from late 2020 because of delays attributable to COVID-19.

The Battista is the first model from Automobili Pininfarina, the new sister business to the 90-year-old design group, Pininfarina S.p.A.

Just 150 Battistas will be made with an expected starting asking price of two million euros ($A3.2m), escalating to 2.6 million euros ($A4.26m) for the even more limited Anniversario version, of which just five will be built.

Australia and New Zealand have been allocated four Battistas via local agent Lorbeck Luxury Cars. First local deliveries are not expected to start until 2022.

The latest development timing details for the Battista were contained in a new video shot only last week and issued over the weekend.

Automobili Pininfarina chief product and engineering officer Paolo Dellacha hosted the video, which showed the latest prototype Battista being assembled.

“If you look at this prototype all the chassis, the powertrain, the low-voltage and high-voltage systems are completed; closures, trims and interiors are [close to the final phase],” Dellacha said.

“We will start in the next week the final chassis set-up and the preparation of the software and finally this car will be hitting the road in a few weeks from now to start its testing phase.”

Dellacha made it clear he has high goals for the Battista.

“My ambition is Battista will be an icon, will be a masterpiece,” he said. “It will not only be about the extreme power it is bringing, it is about combining the tradition of Pininfarina history with the level of technology that has never been achieved so far.

“Electrification unlocks the door to level of performance combined with a sustainable future that was never achievable before. That’s why we wanted the Battista to be a full EV vehicle.”

The Battista produces its enormous power from four permanent magnet synchronous motors – two 250kW unit on the front axle and two 450kW units at the rear – along with a bitumen-peeling 2300Nm.

The performance claims are extreme; 0-100km/h in under two seconds, 0-300km/h in under 12 seconds and a top speed as high as 400km/h. And yet Pininfarina says the 120kW/h battery pack can provide 500km-plus between recharges.

The Battista’s T-shaped battery sourced from Croation EV specialist Rimac is fitted to the monocoque in a tight space underneath the two-seater cockpit. The form and position helps optimise driving dynamics, Dellacha said.

“Most of the weight is moved to the rear part of the vehicle so we privilege the rear-wheel driving dynamics before the all-wheel drive takes over according to the need of the car,” he explained.

The Battista battery case joins the monocoque and outer panels in being made from carbon-fibre to increase both strength and save weight.

“The carbon battery we have designed and developed for the Battista is like a full element of the vehicle so it is providing the energy … but is also giving structure to the vehicle and allowing the outstanding driving dynamics the Battista will have,” Dellacha explained.

The Battista’s driving dynamics have been honed in co-operation with former F1 driver Nick Heidfeld on the road and in an advanced three-dimensional driving simulator.

The Battista will be stopped by a Brembo braking system that borrows from Formula 1 technology. Front and rear carbon-ceramic brakes are estimated by Dellacha to offer 2.5 times the strength of a standard carbon-ceramics.

The brakes are also couple together into a recuperation system that can reclaim up to 80 per cent of energy in normal driving conditions.

To all that the Battista Anniversario adds a ‘Furiosa’ styling and aerodynamics package, unique paint, some interior trim changes and light-weight forged alloy wheels.

Following up Battista, Automibili Pininfarina plans to rapidly expand its line-up with three more EV models at more affordable prices.

Within a few years it hopes to be selling 8000-10,000 vehicles per year.