Pininfarina, the legendary Italian car design company, launched today a new electric car, called B0 [pronounced B Zero], at the Paris Auto Show.

This car is not a prototype. It is a mass production model - the first Pininfarina branded car ever - with the first units coming off the production line at the end of 2009, after which production will be ramped up gradually based on the availability of the batteries.

Built in Turin by Pininfarina-Bolloré, a joint venture formed by the two family-owned groups, the B0 electric car is a fully-electric vehicle without any carbon dioxide production, having been designed from the ground up with that aim in mind.

Dedicated to the memory of Andrea Pininfarina who was a firm believer in the project, the elegant four-seater, four-door hatchback can be recharged in a matter of hours from a standard domestic main socket and has a range of 250 km (153 miles).

The B0 has a top speed that is electronically limited to 130 km/h (80 mph) and features potent acceleration, reaching 60 km/h from a standing start (0 to 37 mph) in 6.3 seconds. The B0 also features solar panels on its roof and hood, so as to help recharge its electrical power reserves.

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