Pininfarina's Electric Dreams
Automotive News [sub] reports that the Pininfarina family is scaling back its 55 percent majority stake to raise cash for the famed but financially-troubled automotive designer and coach manufacturer. Last year, with revenues of €670.4 million ($1 billion) Pininfarina SpA reported a consolidated net loss of €114.9 million ($174.9 million). One investor, French battery maker Groupe Bolloré, will also partner with the Italian firm to build 15k electric vehicles (EVs) a year under the Pinifarina brand. Using Bolloré's lithium-metal-polymer (LMP) batteries, the four-seat Pininfarina EV promises a top speed of 81 mph, a range of up to 150 miles per charge and production in 2010. Betting the firm on a full-size EV with reliable batteries and a generous range is no sure thing. EV ventures are cropping up exponentially in response to legislation curbing CO2 emissions. So far only small, three-wheeled or low-speed vehicles have actually been offered for sale.
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That is 1 sexy electric car. Probably wont see the light of day... at least not at a price I can afford, but hey it'll make some rich people feel better.
I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that the photo is not the 4-seat electric car... Whatever the photo is, though, I want one.
That's a Ferrari Rossa, designed by Pininfarina: http://www.pininfarina.com/index/storiaModelli/modelli.html?scheda.php?id=18&cmp=anno&ord=desc&sl=0&ids=7413f2c482f06879a9a06085e4e19580 Here's a gallery of some more utilitarian Pininfarina designs: carshttp://www.pininfarina.com/index/storiaModelli/modelli.html?modelli.php?ids=d80d0d0e689b9704e07cb34940e94f73