Pininfarina gives an insight into the development of the 1,877-horsepower Batista.

In 2018, Italian design house and coachbuilder Pininfarina launched its own automotive brand dedicated to high-performance, ultra-luxury cars with electric powertrains.

The first model is the Batista, a hypercar comparable to the Bugatti Chiron that 150 customers worldwide will be able to call their own.

Pininfarina unveiled a prototype of the Batista at the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show, and since then it has undergone rigorous testing, including extensive sessions on the track and in a wind tunnel.

The chief test driver is none other than Nick Heidfeld, a former Formula 1 driver and current Formula E driver for Pininfarina's parent company Mahindra. Since development is still ongoing, Heidfeld is tight-lipped about what the driving experience will be like, but says that "the acceleration of the Batista is completely mind-blowing."

Heidfeld is probably not exaggerating, as Pininfarina specs a 0-60 mph time of less than 2.0 seconds.

Also helping in the development was Rene Wollmann, who before joining Pininfarina worked for Mercedes-AMG on the One hypercar. Wollmann has been appointed Pininfarina's sports car development director.

The Batista will be powered by a four-motor powertrain sourced from Rimac, producing 1,877 hp and 1,696 lb-ft of torque. Pininfarina said that in addition to a 0-60 mph time of less than 2.0 seconds, owners can expect to reach 186 mph in less than 12 seconds and eventually reach a top speed of 217 mph. Pininfarina also stated that the car's 120-kilowatt-hour monster battery pack will provide a range of 280 miles, provided the speed limit is observed.

As noted above, 150 units will be built, 50 of which will be for North America. The price is set at 2 million euros ($2.18 million), and deliveries are expected to begin in late 2020.

The Pininfarina car brand, though still in its infancy, is already planning four additional models: an SUV, a sedan, a coupe, and a convertible; a concept previewing the SUV will be unveiled later this year.