Automobili Pininfarina unveils the new topless Barchetta – now the most expensive EV on the planet
Less than a week after teasing a new “collectible masterpiece” codenamed the B95, Automobili Pininfarina has just unveiled the EV – which we have learned is called the Barchetta. This extremely limited production run electric hypercar feature blends past and present with an entirely open top and a “world’s first” aero screen design. Such rarity comes at a price, though, earning the title of most expensive EV to date.
Today’s global premiere in Monterey caps off quite a busy summer for Automobili Pininfarina, who has already graced the world of EV enthusiasts with not one, but two uniquely designed electric hypercars.
First was the Battista Edizione hyper GT – the automaker’s second chapter in limited-edition versions of its flagship EV – the Battista – an elusive vehicle itself. This hyper GT dedicated to the original founder’s nephew and the first-ever Formula 1 champion, Nino Farina, goes 0-60 mph in a mind-boggling 1.79 seconds. That level of speed is quite hard to come by, and so is the new EV delivering it – Automobili Pininfarina says it only intends to build five.
Earlier this month, the hypercar developer followed up with another astonishing exercise in EV design, introducing a new concept called the PURA Vision – complete with a glasshouse top hat and tri-opening pillarless doors.
At the time, we learned the PURA Vision would be on display in Northern California at Monterey Car Week and that a new “B95” EV recently teased by Pininfarina would debut with some of the same design elements as the concept.
Following today’s global premiere, you may notice one element not included in the B95’s design is the glasshouse. Instead, Automobili Pininfarina has removed the top altogether.
Meet the all-electric Barchetta.
Barchetta arrives as a new EV celebrating Pininfarina’s history
During today’s global debut, we have learned that the “B” in B95 stands for… you guessed it, Barchetta. Meanwhile, the “95” is a nod to the automaker’s 95th anniversary in 2025 – the year Pininfarina SpA intends to begin customer deliveries of the limited-edition hyper EV. Company chairman Paolo Pininfarina spoke:
The B95 is elegant, bold, beautiful, and innovative. Everything that defines a true Pininfarina design. It will be the perfect celebration of the 95th anniversary of Pininfarina, which has an unrivaled history creating rare icons that are now the most revered and sought-after collectors’ cars in the world. B95 will undoubtedly continue this legacy and also deliver a statement of intent for Automobili Pininfarina as it develops an incredible portfolio of new luxury electric cars.
Pininfarina SpA speaks often and at length about its PURA design philosophy that strives for vehicles that are pure, timeless, and instantly recognizable. Don’t forget super rare to come by. To keep drivers safe on the road or track without the repose of a glasshouse, Pininfarina has implemented unique design elements on the Barchetta, including a more submersive cabin space, domes behind each passenger’s head, and electronically adjustable aero screens the automaker has proclaimed a “world’s first.”
Each version of Pininfarina’s newest EV will be built entirely by hand at the automaker’s facility in Cambiano, Italy. Like the original Battista, Pininfarina SpA will work alongside each customer to create a Barchetta that is truly one of a kind. For added safety, the automaker says its design team will also offer bespoke helmets to its customers to match their one-of-a-kind Barchetta.
How many customers is the hypercar developer courting, you ask? A mere ten this time. That being said, you can expect a price tag to match. This is a “collectible masterpiece,” after all. Pininfarina SpA shared that each bespoke Barchetta will cost a staggering 4.4 million euros ($4.78 million).
That officially takes the crown from the Aspark Owl as the most expensive EV on the planet. Congrats team!
So, what sort of performance can nearly $5 million get you? The Barchetta’s makers say the new hypercar will feature the same powertrain as the Battista hyper GT, but uniquely tuned. It’ can ‘s four individual motors can accelerate from 0-60 mph in under 2 seconds and reach a top speed over 300km/h (186 mph).
The Barchetta’s T-shaped, liquid-cooled, 120 kWh lithium-ion battery generates a peak power of 1400 kW (1,900 PS) and can achieve charge rates up to 270 kW on DC fast chargers, replenishing from 20-80% top up in 25 minutes.
Visitors to Monterey Car Week can get an up-close look at the new Barchetta alongside Pininfarina SpA’s other two EV models. We will cap this news off with a quote from CEO Paolo Dellachà, who summed up the debut of this summer’s hyper EV trinity up quite well:
This is the most exciting chapter of the Automobili Pininfarina story so far – we’re taking another big step forward. The introduction of the B95 is the third of three essential building blocks this summer for our brand. First, we introduced the Battista Edizione Nino Farina, an exclusive celebration of Pininfarina’s racing son – also the first Formula 1 World Champion.
The launch of the PURA Vision design concept then unlocked a new design philosophy for all future models from our brand, across a spectrum of different segments. Now, our new Barchetta shows how these design principles can be applied – with a retro-futuristic vision fusing classic motorsport themes with the latest technological innovations, materials and processes.
B95 delivers the power of Battista and yet creates a new dimension of driving experience, redefining the very joy of driving. It is the first of a new kind, an object of desire that introduces the thrill of exceptional, electrified performance in stunning open-top form.
Well said. By the way, can anyone lend me $4.78 million? I’m good for it, I promise.
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The world’s largest EV battery maker warned that it expects to report less revenue in 2024 than the previous year, sending share prices down on Wednesday. CATL (SHE: 300750) stock dipped after its 2024 Annual Performance Forecast was released. Here’s a preview of CATL’s financials for last year.
CATL stock falls on lower 2024 revenue expectations
CATL released the forecast in a filing with the Shenzen Stock Exchange late Tuesday, previewing its full-year 2024 financials.
The battery giant expects annual revenue of between RMB 356 billion ($48.9 billion) and RMB 366 billion ($50.3 billion), suggesting an 11.20% to 8.71% decrease from 2023. This would mark CATL’s first time reporting lower annual revenue than the year before.
CATL said that although sales volume was up, the lower expectations were due to falling raw material prices, including lithium carbonate. Despite this, the company still expects to post annual net income of RMB 49 billion ($6.7 billion) to RMB 53 billion ($7.3 billion), which would be up 11.06% to 20.12% from 2023.
Excluding non-recurring gains and losses, CATL expects net profit attributable to shareholders between RMB 44 billion ($6 billion) and RMB 47 billion ($6.5 billion), up 9.75% to 17.23% from 2023.
CATL said the higher net profits were “mainly due to the company’s technological research and development capabilities.” It also said the competitiveness of its products continues to increase.
After launching a series of new products and technology while expanding its partnerships last year, CATL expects “steady growth” in performance.
Just yesterday, a local report from Jieman claimed CATL expected to announce plans for yet another EV battery plant in Europe as it expands its global reach. The new facility would be in addition to the one revealed last month with Stellantis and CATL’s fourth in Europe.
According to SNE Research, CATL remained the world’s largest EV battery maker, commanding 36.8% of the global market through the first 11 months of 2024.
CATL launched its new Bedrock Chassis last month, which it calls “the world’s first ultra-safe” EV skateboard chassis. It’s also aggressively expanding its EV battery swap plans with a new line of Choco-SEB batteries, which make swapping even quicker than filling a gas tank (within 100 seconds).
Despite the confidence and higher net profits, CATL’s stock slipped around 2% on Wednesday following the lower revenue expectations.
CATL shares are still up nearly 70% over the past 12 months, as the EV battery leader launched new products and expanded its global market lead.
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Environment
Sustainable luxury down below: U-Boat Worx (finally) launches its revamped electric ‘Super Sub’
Electric submersible specialist U-Boat Worx has unveiled bonafide images of its flagship electric “Super Sub.” The revamped model, designed to provide customers luxury, speed, and depth at sea, has officially been launched and is available to interested marine explorers.
U-Boat Worx is a Dutch submersible manufacturer that has become one of the industry leaders in luxury electric sub design.
The company has introduced nine different electric submarine series. These include the nine-passenger NEXUS series we previously covered and a three-passenger Super Sub, which first debuted in 2021.
In the fall of 2022, we shared that U-Boat Worx redesigned the all-electric Super Sub to bolster its speed below the water’s surface. It claimed its updated version could cruise as quickly as 10 knots, 3-4 knots faster than the bottlenose dolphin.
U-Boat Worx originally planned to launch the revamped version of the Super Sub in 2023. Over a year later, it officially unveiled the luxury electric sub with new, genuine images of the vessel instead of renderings.
U-Boat Worx begins sales of its electric Super Sub
U-Boat Worx shared the images seen above alongside a press release detailing the official (late) launch of its three-passenger Super Sub. As you can see, the design features a droplet-shaped hull and advanced wing configurations, which, according to U-Boat Worx, helps make it one of the most hydrodynamic submersibles ever crafted.
The electric sub’s streamlined design is complimented by a four-thruster propulsion system that delivers 100 kW of thrust and speeds up to 9 knots (~10 mph) underwater. The vessel can also complete 45-degree climbs and “impressive inclined underwater maneuvers.” Roy Heijdra, Marketing Manager at U-Boat Worx, elaborated:
The Super Sub is a marvel of engineering and luxury. It’s more than a submersible — it’s a first-class ticket to explore the ocean like never before, combining speed, safety, and sophistication in every dive.
In terms of interior luxury, U-Boat Worx says the electric Super Sub offers a comparable experience to first-class travel – a step up from the “business-class comfort” of its other models.
Inside, two passengers and a pilot can enjoy spacious and ergonomic seating with a five-point harness system for comfort and safety during the electric sub’s high-speed maneuvers using a unique SHARC controller developed for the Super Sub to deliver intuitive maneuverability at any angle or pitch. Looking outward, a panoramic ultra-clear acrylic hull offers passengers 360-degree views.
The Super Sub is powered by a 62 kWh battery pack that offers up to 8 hours of exploration using electric propulsion and hydrofoil technology. If you’re wondering how much a luxury three-passenger electric submarine costs, well we’re not sure either. We asked, but U-Boat Worx says it only shares pricing with its applicants. Do any billionaires want to apply and report back? Thanks
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Polestar CEO Michael Lohscheller sees Elon Musk’s politics as an opportunity to steal sales from Tesla as many owners are looking at other electric vehicles.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s meddling in politics hasn’t been winning him many fans outside of the US lately. In Germany, we reported on a boycott effort that is gaining ground.
Michael Lohscheller, Polestar’s CEO, sees it as an opportunity.
Being German himself, he finds Musk comments promoting AfD, a far-right party in Germany, “unacceptable”. He said in a Bloomberg interview:
“For Germany, somebody outside of Germany endorsing right-wing political parties is a big thing. You want to know what I think about it? I think it’s totally unacceptable. Totally unacceptable. You just don’t do that. This is pure arrogance, and these things will not work.”
The CEO says that a lot of people are turning on Tesla because of this.
We get a lot of people writing that they don’t like all this. It’s important to listen closely to what they say. And I can tell you, a lot of people have very, very negative sentiment.
Some surveys showed as many as a third of Tesla owners have sold or are looking to sell their vehicles due to Elon Musk’s antics.
That could indeed be an opportunity for Polestar and the company needs it.
Sales have been lacking behind target and its stock has suffered – 92% of its value since going public.
It managed to secure some funding late last year and scaled back spending to extend its capacity to operate. It now plans to go to a more traditional dealership model to move cars.
But the biggest difference maker is the expanding lineup of vehicles that Polestar is launching.
Electrek’s Take
It is certainly an opportunity. I’m seeing more and more Tesla owners saying that they would never buy another Tesla.
Those people aren’t likely to go back to a gas car, and therefore, it is an opportunity for all other EV automakers.
I haven’t had a lot of time in Polestar vehicles. I think they look cool, but my opinion stops there. I am going to test them all next month and I will report back.
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