Geneva Motor Show 2019: Pininfarina unveils 1900 BHP Battista electric supercar

Geneva Motor Show: Automobili Pininfarina, the designer of iconic Ferrari cars and now a part of India's Mahindra Group, unveiled on Tuesday the Battista, a 1900 BHP, 2300 NM electric supercar that is touted to be faster than a Formula 1 car in its 0-100km/h, sub-two second sprint. Named after Pininfarina's founder, the Battista is the legendary car designer's first production car—and an electric one at that.

When it arrives in 2020, the Battista will be the most powerful car ever designed and built in Italy. It has the potential to accelerate to 62 mph in less than two seconds, faster than a Formula 1 car, and break the 250 mph top speed barrier—all with a potential zero emission range of over 300 miles, the company said.

It will deliver a level of performance that is "unachievable today in any road-legal sports car featuring internal combustion engine technology", Pininfarina claimed.

"This is the most authentic and exciting automotive story imaginable. The Battista is the hypercar of the future, inspired by a legendary past," Automobili Pininfarina CEO Michael Perschke told reporters here. Electrification unlocks the door to a new level of performance and a zero-emission future, whilst a passion and respect for automotive history will define how this landmark car looks and feels, he added.

"We aim for the Battista to be a future classic and automotive icon, writing its own page in automotive history books," Perschke said.

No more than 150 Battistas will be handcrafted in Italy and allocated equally among the regions of North America, Europe and Middle East/Asia, Pininfarina said.

Customer service will be delivered through some of the world's best luxury car retail specialists, from Los Angeles to London to Tokyo.

The Turin, Italy-based company has named the model after Battista 'Pinin' Farina, the founder of the Carrozzeria Pininfarina coach building company that he started in 1930. The all-electric hypercar is designed and hand-built in very limited numbers at Pininfarina SpA.

Based out of Europe, Automobili Pininfarina combines its automotive design prowess with Mahindra's growing electric vehicle (EV) expertise, gained from participation in the Formula E electric racing car championship.

The Mahindra Group had acquired Pininfarina in late 2015 for an overall outgo of over €50 million after months of negotiations.