Electric Partnership Powers UP

Top 500 French industrial group, Bolloré, has formed a joint venture with one of the world's great names in auto design, Pininfarina, to begin electric car production in 2009.

The two family owned companies launched a pre-production car in Paris called the Pininfarina Bo, attracting huge interest from European journalists who overwhelmed the small stand during the unveiling. It is an interesting partnership as Pinifarina's design skills are legendary, while the $10 billion turnover Bolloré industrial group has used its extensive resources and a subsidiary Batscap to develop a solid-state lithium metal polymer (LMP) battery to power the vehicle. The batteries will be manufactured by a further subsidiary based in Canada called Avestor.

The 300 kg (660 lb) battery does not require any maintenance, has a lifespan of around 125,000 miles and can be fully recharged from a domestic socket in just a few hours, claims the company. They promise a range of 153 miles, acceleration to 37 mph in 6.3 seconds and a top speed electronically limited to 80 mph. The Bo is fitted with solar panels on its roof and hood that help recharge its electrical power reserves. The car is also fitted with supercapacitors which enable it to store and recycle energy generated from braking.

The four-seat, four-door compact hatchback is elegantly styled and uses materials selected for their ability to be recycles or reused. During the launch it was made clear that the car was not a concept, but a pre-production model destined to be sold worldwide, including North America.

Prior to the unveiling, respects were paid to former CEO Andrea Pininfarina who was tragically killed in August while riding a scooter near his offices in Turin.