Another firm gets involved at St Athan…
A company which has styled Ferrari cars and some of the world’s most iconic automobiles has been commissioned to build the Britishvolt battery gigaplant at St Athan – by Robin Roberts (and Wheels Within Wales).
Pininfarina has more than 90 years at the forefront of innovative automotive design, and more recently an expansion into the field of architecture. People who have seen the architects’ impressions say it is going to be a striking tall building surrounded by three other units and when completed in 2022/23 it will cost £1.2 Billion and gradually build up to 3,000 jobs.
After decades of working with top brands such as Ferrari, Alfa Romeo and Peugeot – including a renovation of the Eurostar fleet operating between London and Paris – Pininfarina has an unrivalled heritage in the transport and automotive sectors. Its world-famous, revolutionary designs will ensure that Britishvolt’s gigaplant is both fit for purpose, and an elegant representation of the future of the UK’s automotive industry.
As an Italian studio working globally, the firm prides itself on always incorporating local culture and community needs within the creation of its spaces, to ensure the maximum positive impact on mental and physical well-being – with sustainability at the top of the agenda. Pininfarina has always been at the forefront of electric mobility, beginning in 1978 with the Ecos automotive prototype. While creating new paradigms of eco-sustainable, and zero emission mobility, the Turin-based design house is still fully committed to a significant number of electric propulsion solutions in various segments of the mobility ecosystem. 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 open and welcoming to the local residents.