Pininfarina / Bollore electric car project stays on the road

The Pininfarina / Bollore electric car project was said to be "going as planned" despite the tragic death of Andrea Pininfarina. who was overseeing the operation around which the Italian design company was being financially restructured. Addressing a press conference, Bollore head Vincent Bollore attempted to calm any fears saying, "We are in the condition to produce at industrial levels." Paolo Pininfarina was chosen to replace his brother and also reaffirmed the company's restructuring intentions last month.

Pininfarina buiilt the BlueCar (pictured above) for Bollore battery subsidiary Batscap in the recent past to showcase the firm's energy storage solution. Although the BlueCar never went into production, it seems Bollore is serious about this new project to the extent that it is already attempting to secure large amounts of lithium from one of the world's richest reserves of the mineral in Bolivia. A Bollore executive told reporters at today's conference that they would begin taking orders for the car next summer. The company is estimated to be capable of producing about 10,000 batteries a year. If everything is truly on schedule we should expect to see the new design at the Paris Motor Show in October. We hope it's a little sexier than their previous collaboration.

[Source: Reuters / Usine Nouvelle]