Automobili Pininfarina’s Battista pure-electric hypercar made its debut in production form on the roads of California as part of a packed program of events around Monterey Car Week. The debut of the production-spec car gave U.S. customers a first chance to experience its electric performance. On the lawn of The Quail at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the car was displayed alongside a selection of classic Pininfarina designs from the company’s 91-year history.

Automobili Pininfarina has its operational headquarters in Munich, Germany (BMW country), but the Battista is designed, engineered, and produced by hand in Italy. The company, which aims to be the most sustainable luxury car brand in the world, is a 100% Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. investment, with Pininfarina S.p.A. supporting design and production capacities.

The Battista is named after Battista “Pinin” Farina, the founder of the Carrozzeria Pininfarina coachbuilding company he established in 1930. The company says the EV hypercar will be the most powerful car ever designed and built in Italy, delivering a level of performance that is “unachievable today in any road-legal sports car featuring internal combustion engine technology.”

The current management team shepherding the car to market is led by Per Svantesson, CEO; Paolo Dellacha, Chief Product and Engineering Officer; Luca Borgogno, Chief Design Officer; Dan Connell, Chief Brand Officer; Goesta Henning, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer; and Tushar Gadre, Chief Financial Officer. They are supported by René-Christopher Wollmann, Product Platform Director, Sportscars, and Nick Heidfeld, the famous racecar driver with more than 20 years of top-level motor racing experience including 183 Formula 1 races, and who serves as Vehicle Development & Brand Ambassador, and Test and Development Driver.

For the Battista, the design team led by Borgogno took inspiration from past Pininfarina design classics such as the Cisitalia 202, Ferrari Dino Berlinetta Speciale, and Ferrari Modulo. A carbon-fiber monocoque chassis and body provide the foundation.

The new car’s classic teardrop shape is a signature feature of many of the most famous Pininfarina designs. It is defined by a simple accent line that encircles the car, linking the front “floating wing” with the rear wing in two sections, each ultra-thin and edged with LED lights. The rear wing is designed to create significant levels of downforce and act as an airbrake. The charging socket is below the rear wing, with a Pininfarina-signature E-Heart pulsating light behind the rear screen.

Said to be faster than a current Formula 1 racecar, the Battista can do the 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint in less than 2 s, 0-300 km/h (0-186 mph) in less than 12 s, and top speed is 330 km/h (205 mph)—350 km/h (217 mph) with the performance-oriented tires.

This performance is enabled in large part by powertrain partner, Rimac, which provides battery and drivetrain expertise, software, and hardware. An electric motor at each wheel gives a total output of about 1900 hp (1416 kW) and 2300 N·m (1696 lb·ft). Performance and other variables can be altered by five selectable drive modes: Calma, Pura, Energica, Furiosa, and Carattere.

The T-shaped liquid-cooled 120-kW·h lithium-ion battery pack’s weight distribution and low mounting is configured to optimize the car’s driving dynamics. Battista’s range on a single charge has increased from an estimated 450 km (280 mi) announced at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show to a simulated WLTP range of over 500 km (310 mi) thanks to an aerodynamics development program that included time in the renowned Pininfarina SpA wind tunnel. Helping to extend that range is the braking system featuring 390-mm carbon ceramic discs with six-piston cast and painted monobloc calipers for powerful, fade-free deceleration and brake regeneration to the battery.

Charging technology includes a 22-kW AC wall box and up to 180 kW DC fast-charging capabilities.

A custom Residenza wall box is designed by Pininfarina SpA with similar lines to the car and is painted in the same color. EV infrastructure company Green Motion provides the wall box (up to 7.2 kW in North America) constructed using recycled and organic materials. It can fully charge the 120 kWh pack in 6 h.

For charging on the move, a partnership with ChargePoint will provide customers with five years of free, unlimited public charging to most of ChargePoint’s 112,000 active ports globally, 3500 of which include DC ports, and access to an additional 175,000 places to charge through roaming integrations—the ability to charge on multiple networks with one account. Using a 180-kW DC charging system, owners will be able to charge their Battista from 20% to 80% in just 25 min. Access will be by Battista key fob or app.

The Battista comes with an online infotainment system and a new app linking with what the company claims is an extensive portfolio of digital services including real-time navigation, music streaming, and an advanced telemetry system. The system can be upgraded over-the-air to keep it updated over its lifetime.

The Black Exposed Signature Carbon bodywork option of the California road car was created under the recently announced personalization program. In addition to exposed bodywork, the car features polished Impulso forged aluminum-alloy wheels, optional Pilota seats in sustainable black leather, with quilted Iconica Blu Alcantara upholstery and contrast stitching, and the Interior Jewellery Pack finished in brushed, black-anodized aluminum.

“To see the first production-intent example of our pure-electric hyper GT on the highways of California signals the beginning of an exciting new chapter in its development,” said Dellacha. “This is a significant landmark and hugely rewarding moment as we count down towards making the first client deliveries later this year.”

Clients also had a chance to hear Battista for the first time, showcasing the unique sound that is currently in development for the car to create an emotional reaction for occupants and onlookers. Following the company’s Pure Sound philosophy, the soundscape has a core frequency of 54 Hz, an organic frequency that is a multiple of 432 Hz, known as “Verdi’s A,” conceived by famous Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi.

“Every driver has an emotional bond with a car, and the sound of Battista will nurture this connection, not by replicating a familiar car sound, but with one that radiates the beauty of Battista’s design both inside and out,” said Wollmann. “This way, the Battista will not only impress with its aesthetic appeal and performance but also on a new emotional level enhanced through the sound.”

No more than 150 Battistas will be individually hand-crafted at the Pininfarina SpA atelier in Cambiano, Italy. The car comes with a 3 yr/100,000 km warranty and costs from €1.98 million.

Also at Monterey Car Week was the U.S. premiere of the Battista Anniversario. Limited to just five vehicles worldwide, it represents the pinnacle of Pininfarina design with aerodynamic enhancements and tailored detailing.

Its Furiosa package comprises a revised carbon-fiber front splitter, side blades, and rear diffuser. Combined with a custom rear wing, rear aero fins, and other details, the enhancements deliver increased downforce and greater stability at higher cornering speeds. The Anniversario’s handling is sharpened by a reduction in unsprung mass of almost 10 kg (22 lb) thanks to optional Impulso wheels that feature center-lock forged aluminum wheels.

In addition, the Battista Anniversario “features one of the most complex paint finishes in the world” said Borgogno.

The special version of the car is priced from €2.6 million.