Britishvolt teams with Italian designer Pininfarina to build gigafactory

London — Britishvolt has announced it will collaborate with Italian designer Pininfarina to build the UK's first large gigafactory in Wales.

Britishvolt said July 29 that it had been a priority to find a design partner with expertise in eco-sustainability and zero-emissions mobility that could design a facility sensitive to its surroundings and open and welcoming to local residents.

It added that Pininfarina was at the forefront of electric mobility and was fully committed to many electric propulsion solutions in various segments of the mobility ecosystem.

Pininfarina has spent 90 years focusing on automotive design, working with Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Peugeot and Eurostar, among others, and more recently expanded into the field of architecture.

Britishvolt said the Italian company's designs would ensure that the gigaplant was fit for purpose, and "an elegant representation of the future of the UK's automotive industry."

Britishvolt founder and CEO Orral Nadjari said Britishvolt was prioritizing an innovative design to match the future quality of its lithium ion cells and believed Pininfarina would help accomplish this.

"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," he said.

Pininfarina CEO Silvio Pietro Angori said the company's focus in automotive design and architecture was on combining timeless design with social and environmental sustainability.

"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," he said.