Production of Battista, the world’s first pure-electric hyper GT, has begun in a dedicated new Atelier space in Cambiano, Italy. Located in the Piemonte region of Italy, this milestone represents an exciting chapter in the development story of new Italian luxury carmaker Automobili Pininfarina and will be further celebrated when the first series production Battista makes its appearance at Monterey Car Week in August.
The Battista Atelier is split into 14 production and quality assurance zones. From start to finish, assembly of each Battista takes 10 weeks, while the hand-painted finish of the Battista Anniversario requires an extended 18-week schedule. Each individual Battista is assembled by 10 craftspeople, taking more than 1,250 hours. The design features and finish of the exclusive Battista Anniversario extend this up to 1,340 hours.
The Battista begins to take shape as the primed Body-in-White is then bonded with the monocoque. With its ‘Goccia’ roof enclosing the cabin, the Battista gains structural strength and rigidity. Mounted on another bespoke rig, this two-day process measures, and records every dimension and parameter to the finest tolerances in a measurement area that has featured in the successful creation of special vehicles for 20 years in the center of the facility. The body is then dismounted from the chassis in preparation to move to a dedicated paint facility.
The standard paint cycle takes three to four weeks, using a new paint compound with a multi-layer metallic finish, in one of 28 colors inspired by the Piemonte region of Italy – the heartland of Automobili Pininfarina. In the fifth zone, 80 percent of the vehicle is assembled, taking two days. The complex butterfly doors – sophisticated in design and integral to the vehicle structure – are also fitted at this stage, over two days, using another unique piece of mounting equipment that can support the weight of the doors and tilt in multiple directions to ensure fitment is perfectly aligned.
The first end-of-line checks and commissions are undertaken next, with software and tooling used to check all standards are being met with the vehicle in Plant Mode. It is then switched to Customer Mode – including charging the battery, infotainment, and the unique Automobili Pininfarina SUONO PURO sound signature.
The final physical workstation in the Atelier sees the Battista raised on another lift for 24 hours to complete a thorough wheel and steering alignment. Each vehicle is then checked in the water management area to ensure water cannot get into the vehicle, regardless of its intensity, before final sign-off and completion of its digital log.
