Behold the dawning of the e-LUV. Electric hypercar developer Automobili Pininfarina is created a new new breed of luxury vehicles with a new concept called the PURA Vision. The boutique automaker describes the PURA Vision as an electric luxury utility vehicle or “e-LUV” for short. We get our first glimpse of the unique EV today ahead of its public debut at Monterey Car Week later this month. Check it out.
While the Pininfarina name has held its own unique spot in automobiles the past 90 years, our coverage of the brand is much more recent, after it was reborn as an all-electric hypercar developer in 2018.
In that time, our coverage has been exclusively on the Battista – Pininfarina’s ultra-exclusive flagship model that later saw an even more limited Anniversario edition of a mere five units. Last Fall, we saw the Battista smash some world records in Dubai, followed by two more during the EV’s first trip to India.
Just last month, Pininfarina introduced a third iteration of the Battista called the Edizione, dedicated to the first-ever F1 champion, Nino Farina. Like the Anniversario, the automaker only planned to build five.
But enough about the Battista – today we are able to report a new EV from Automobili Pininfarina, albeit a concept. Still, the new PURA Vision is a stunning exercise in design, offering a preview of the Italian/German/Indian automaker’s future of e-LUVs.
See Pininfarina’s new concept before Monterey debut
The original Battista hyper GT first debuted at Monterey Car Week in California – Now, five years later, Automobili Pininfarina is showcasing a new EV concept focused on luxury, dramatic proportions, and innovative technology.
Contrary to the track-focused Battista Hyper GT, Pininfarina’s Hyper GT concept offers a design study that will influence elements in future models. As you can see above, the automaker is experimenting with some bold forms including a narrow glasshouse approach on the side windows and roof, tri-opening pillarless doors, and some unique rear cab proportions.
The result is a Pininfarina concept that reads as a sports car from the front and an SUV from the back. As for the side, well that silhouette is a sight, offering a smooth streamlined design that is mostly body. Chief design officer Dave Amantea elaborated:
PURA Vision embraces the DNA of iconic vehicles from Pininfarina’s past, to shape the future with sharp lines and a modern aesthetic. It is distinctive from every angle and showcases our PURA design philosophy on a new kind of vehicle. A dramatic presence, inviting interior and curated materials make this a car like no other, yet clients will recognize it as a Pininfarina with its beautiful body, timeless proportions and technical lower body detailing.
Other unique features to keep an eye out for include hidden headlights powered by ultra-slim L.E.S.S. nanofiber lighting technology that are less than 1mm thick, a Bianco Siestre Gloss body paired with exposed carbon fiber elements, and a gloss black floating roof.
Those attending this year’s Monterey Car Week August 17-20 will be able to see the PURA Vision concept up close, next to the Pininfarina Battista Nino Farina hyper GT.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Environment
U.S. crude oil falls below $60 a barrel to lowest since 2021 on tariff-fueled recession fears
A view shows disused oil pump jacks at the Airankol oil field operated by Caspiy Neft in the Atyrau Region, Kazakhstan April 2, 2025.
Pavel Mikheyev | Reuters
U.S. oil prices dropped below $60 a barrel on Sunday on fears President Donald Trump’s global tariffs would push the U.S., and maybe the world, into a recession.
Futures tied to U.S. West Texas intermediate crude fell more than 3% to $59.74 on Sunday night. The move comes after back-to-back 6% declines last week. WTI is now at the lowest since April 2021.
Worries are mounting that tariffs could lead to higher prices for businesses, which could lead to a slowdown in economic activity that would ultimately hurt demand for oil.
Oil futures, 5 years
The tariffs, which are set to take effect this week, “would likely push the U.S. and possibly global economy into recession this year,” according to JPMorgan. The firm on Thursday raised its odds of a recession this year to 60% following the tariff rollout, up from 40%.
Fueled by incentives from the Illinois EPA and the state’s largest utility company, new EV registrations nearly quadrupled the 12% first-quarter increase in EV registrations nationally – and there are no signs the state is slowing down.
Despite the dramatic slowdown of Tesla’s US deliveries, sales of electric vehicles overall have perked up in recent months, with Illinois’ EV adoption rate well above the Q1 uptick nationally. Crain’s Chicago Business reports that the number of new EVs registered across the state totaled 9,821 January through March, compared with “just” 6,535 EVs registered in the state during the same period in 2024.
Those numbers represent more than 50% growth in EV registrations – far beyond the expected 12% first-quarter increase nationally being projected by Cox Automotive. (!)
What’s going on in Illinois?
While President Trump and Elmo were running for re-election, they campaigned on the threat promise of canceling the $7,500 federal tax credit for EVs. Along with California Governor Gavin Newsom, Illinois’ Governor JB Pritzker made countermoves – launching a $4,000 rebate for new electric cars and up to $1,500 for the purchase of a new electric motorcycle.
At the same time, the state’s largest utility, ComEd, launched a $90 million EV incentive program featuring a new Point of Purchase initiative to deliver instant discounts to qualifying business and public sector customers who make the switch to electric vehicles. That program has driven a surge in Class 3-6 medium duty commercial EVs, which are eligible fro $20-30,000 in utility rebates on top of federal tax credits and other incentives (Class 1-2 EVs are eligible for up to $7,500).
We covered the launch of those incentives when the program was announced at Chicago Drives Electric last year, but the message here is simple: incentives work.
SOURCES: Chicago Business, Ray Cunningham; featured image by the author.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
The electric construction equipment experts at XCMG just released a new, 25 ton electric crawler excavator ahead of bauma 2025 – and they have their eye on the global urban construction, mine operations, and logistical material handling markets.
Powered by a high-capacity 400 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery capable of delivering up to 8 hours of continuous operation, the XE215EV electric excavator promises uninterrupted operation at a lower cost of ownership and with even less downtime than its diesel counterparts.
XCMG is delivering on part of that reduced downtime promise with the lower maintenance and easier repair needs of electric equipment, and delivering on the rest of it with lickety-quick DC fast charging that can recharge the machine’s massive battery in 1.5-2 hours … but that’s not the slick bit. The XCMG XE125EV can be powered up without leaving the job site thanks to its BYD battery swap technology.
We first covered XCMG and its battery swap technology back in January, and covered similar battery-swap tech being developed by MOOG Construction offshoot ZQUIP, as well – but while XCMG’s battery tech has been in production for several years, it’s still not widely known about in the West (even within the industry).
XCMG showed off its latest electric equipment at the December 2024 bauma China, including an updated version of its of its 85-ton autonomous electric mining truck that features a fully cab-less design – meaning there isn’t even a place for an operator to sit, let alone operate. And that’s too bad, because what operator wouldn’t want to experience an electric truck putting down 1070 hp more than 16,000 lb-ft of torque!?
Easy in, easy out
The best part? All of the company’s heavy equipment assets – from excavators to terminal tractors to dump trucks and wheel loaders – all use the same 400 kWh BYD battery packs, Milwaukee tool style. That means an equipment fleet can utilize x number of vehicles with a fraction of the total battery capacity and material needs of other asset brands. That’s not just a smart use of limited materials, it’s a smarter use of energy.
You can check out all the XE215EV’s specs at this tear sheet, and get an in-person look at the Chinese company’s latest electric excavator this week in Munich, Germany.
SOURCE | IMAGES: XCMG.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business3 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway