The manufacturer Britishvolt today announced a collaboration with the Italian design house Pininfarina to build the UK’s first large-scale battery gigaplant at a former RAF base in Bro Tathan, Wales.
The priority for Britishvolt was to partner with a company with expertise in this field that could design a facility that is both sensitive to its surroundings, as well as welcoming to local residents.
Pininfarina began working on electric mobility in 1978 with the Ecos automotive prototype. The Turin-based design house says it is still fully committed to a significant number of electric propulsion solutions in various segments of the mobility ecosystem.
Orral Nadjari, CEO and Founder at Britishvolt, commented: ‘Britishvolt’s aim to become the world’s first zero carbon battery manufacturer aligns perfectly with Pininfarina’s expertise in creating green, high tech and innovative environments.
‘With carefully selected sustainable materials that take into account the entire building’s life cycle, Pininfarina’s appreciation of social impact is what drew us to this partnership. Their balance between pioneering design and understanding of local culture, is one Britishvolt is proud to take forward.’
Silvio Pietro Angori, CEO at Pininfarina, added: ‘We are proud to collaborate with Britishvolt on such an ambitious project, thus contributing towards creating the UK’s largest battery manufacturing facility, and advancing the evolution of e-mobility.
‘Our focus has always been on combining timeless design with social and environmental sustainability, both in automotive design and architecture. Sustainable design is no longer an option to consider down the line, it’s a necessary commitment to create social and economic value for future generations.’
Image: Ceri Breeze / Shutterstock.com.
