Pininfarina B0
Encyclopedia
The Pininfarina Bluecar (previously known as B0 or B Zero) is an electric car
, designed by Pininfarina
in collaboration with Bolloré
, which was introduced at the 2008 Paris Motor Show
. It is not a concept car, but a production car that went on sale in 2009.
The car incorporates a lithium polymer (LMP) battery matched up with a supercapacitor
. The energy storage component not only allows for high regenerative braking and acceleration capabilities but also extends the life of the battery. A range of 250 km and a top speed of 130 km/h have been announced for the vehicle, as well as 0–60 km/h acceleration time of 6.3 seconds. Pininfarina began production at the end of 2009, and it plans to ramp up production based on battery availability and sales.
The project was developed by the Pininfarina Design department, led by the Flemish designer Lowie Vermeersch, who had previously coordinated other projects such as the Pininfarina Sintesi and the Ferrari California
. The car was dedicated to the memory of Andrea Pininfarina
, who died two months before its unveiling and who was a firm believer in the project.
of four ultra-thin materials: (1) metallic lithium
foil anode that acts as both a lithium source and a current collector; (2) solid polymer
ic electrolyte created by dissolving a lithium salt in a solvating co-polymer (polyoxyethylene); (3) cathode composed of vanadium
oxide, carbon
, and polymer to form a plastic composite
; and (4) aluminum
foil current collector. The batteries that power the car are housed in a compartment located under the car, between its axles. Also, the vehicle will feature a set of solar panels on its roof and hood that will help recharge the batteries.
Electric car
An electric car is an automobile which is propelled by electric motor, using electrical energy stored in batteries or another energy storage device. Electric cars were popular in the late-19th century and early 20th century, until advances in internal combustion engine technology and mass...
, designed by Pininfarina
Pininfarina
Pininfarina S.p.A. is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder in Cambiano, Italy.Founded as Società anonima Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in 1930 by automobile designer and builder Battista "Pinin" Farina, Pininfarina has been employed by a wide variety of high-end automobile manufacturers,...
in collaboration with Bolloré
Bolloré
Bolloré is a French investment and industrial holding group headquartered in Puteaux, on the western outskirts of Paris, France. The company, a paper-energy-plantations-logistics conglomerate, employs 28,000 people around the world....
, which was introduced at the 2008 Paris Motor Show
2008 Paris Motor Show
The 2008 Paris Motor Show took place from 4 October to 19 October 2008, in Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles.This edition of the Paris Motor Show featured a high number of hybrid and electric vehicles , a tectonic shift that led a New York Times blogger to ask, "Who killed the non-electric cars?".-...
. It is not a concept car, but a production car that went on sale in 2009.
The car incorporates a lithium polymer (LMP) battery matched up with a supercapacitor
Supercapacitor
An electric double-layer capacitor , also known as supercapacitor, supercondenser, electrochemical double layer capacitor, or ultracapacitor, is an electrochemical capacitor with relatively high energy density. Their energy density is typically hundreds of times greater than conventional...
. The energy storage component not only allows for high regenerative braking and acceleration capabilities but also extends the life of the battery. A range of 250 km and a top speed of 130 km/h have been announced for the vehicle, as well as 0–60 km/h acceleration time of 6.3 seconds. Pininfarina began production at the end of 2009, and it plans to ramp up production based on battery availability and sales.
The project was developed by the Pininfarina Design department, led by the Flemish designer Lowie Vermeersch, who had previously coordinated other projects such as the Pininfarina Sintesi and the Ferrari California
Ferrari California
The Ferrari California is a grand touring sports car that was launched by Ferrari at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. It is a two door "2+2" hard top convertible. The California is powered by front-mid mounted gasoline direct injection V8 with...
. The car was dedicated to the memory of Andrea Pininfarina
Andrea Pininfarina
Andrea Pininfarina was an Italian engineer and manager, former CEO of the Italian coachbuilder Pininfarina, founded by his grandfather Battista "Pinin" Farina in 1930 and still controlled by the family...
, who died two months before its unveiling and who was a firm believer in the project.
Battery in depth
The car's lithium-metal-polymer battery consists of a laminateLaminate
A laminate is a material that can be constructed by uniting two or more layers of material together. The process of creating a laminate is lamination, which in common parlance refers to the placing of something between layers of plastic and gluing them with heat and/or pressure, usually with an...
of four ultra-thin materials: (1) metallic lithium
Lithium
Lithium is a soft, silver-white metal that belongs to the alkali metal group of chemical elements. It is represented by the symbol Li, and it has the atomic number 3. Under standard conditions it is the lightest metal and the least dense solid element. Like all alkali metals, lithium is highly...
foil anode that acts as both a lithium source and a current collector; (2) solid polymer
Polymer
A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units. These subunits are typically connected by covalent chemical bonds...
ic electrolyte created by dissolving a lithium salt in a solvating co-polymer (polyoxyethylene); (3) cathode composed of vanadium
Vanadium
Vanadium is a chemical element with the symbol V and atomic number 23. It is a hard, silvery gray, ductile and malleable transition metal. The formation of an oxide layer stabilizes the metal against oxidation. The element is found only in chemically combined form in nature...
oxide, carbon
Carbon
Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds...
, and polymer to form a plastic composite
Composite material
Composite materials, often shortened to composites or called composition materials, are engineered or naturally occurring materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties which remain separate and distinct at the macroscopic or...
; and (4) aluminum
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
foil current collector. The batteries that power the car are housed in a compartment located under the car, between its axles. Also, the vehicle will feature a set of solar panels on its roof and hood that will help recharge the batteries.