The Italian firm Automobili Estrema unveiled its debut model, the Fulminea, an all-electric hypercar at Turin Automobile Museum on May 13, 2021. The brand says it will be the first hypercar in the world with a hybrid battery pack using both ultra-capacitors and solid-state cells, which will power four electric motors with a total output equivalent to 2,040 hp. The swordfish inspired car can reach 200 mph in less than 10 seconds or 0-62 mph in under 2 seconds. With a hybrid battery pack of 100 kWh, the estimated driving range of this cutting-edge vehicle is 323 miles (520 km) on the WLTP cycle.
Automobili Estrema was founded in 2020 by Gianfranco Pizzuto, an entrepreneur with an international business background. Previously, he has worked as an investor & partner with Fisker Automotive and as an ambassador for the I-Pace electric crossover with Jaguar Land Rover, Italy. Now, as the founder of Automobili Estrema, he and his team of industry veterans and entrepreneurs have spent a year in virtual collaboration and accomplished what is nothing less than remarkable.
The debut project of the Italian brand will be the Fulminea electric hypercar (translated from Italian - instant, lightning fast), which will lead to a new era of electric hypercars with absurd amounts of power. CEO Gianfranco Pizzuto and COO Roberto Olivo revealed the full-size prototype of the electric hypercar at a live zoom event from the Turin Automobile Museum. The event was attended virtually by the company's Chief Creative Officer Alexander Klatt, who has previously held design leadership roles at Fisker, BMW DesignworksUSA and BMW Group in Germany.
The Automobili Estrema’s mission is to create a new hypercar meant to represent the pinnacle of vehicle design. The Fulminea incorporates many material advancements and cutting edge technology, as is evident in the active aerodynamic bodywork which is fabricated in carbon fibre that integrates a shark fin, rear wing and numerous intakes for airflow and heat management. The car’s design has been inspired by nature, including the rear lights, which are said to resemble the form of a peregrine falcon. Butterfly-style doors open wide to invite drivers and passengers into a cockpit that is expansive and affords wide vision forward. The Fulminea is finished in the signature color of Automobili Estrema - Azzurro Savoia. About the marque’s logo, which bears the colours of the Italian flag, Olivo, Estrema’s chief operating officer explains: “The inspiration was not just in nature, but the symbol we have adopted, which is the lightning bolt. The lightning bolt is a symbol of electricity, speed and clean energy.” For interior and exterior styling, the company has partnered with EPTA Design studio and UCIF Modelli for modelling.
With the Fulminea, the Italians expect to achieve a charging rate at the highest level possible. CEO Gianfranco Pizzuto said, “our target is to charge from 10% to 80% in about 15 minutes.” The electric hypercar will consist of supercapacitors and solid-state electrolyte cells provided by Avesta Battery Energy Engineering. The 100 kilowatt-hour battery units with an energy density of 450 Wh/KG will be assembled by Estrema’s partner IMECAR Elektronik. In addition to the high energy density, the solid-state electrolyte is non-flammable and safer. Electra Vehicle, a B2B software company supplying energy storage designs and solutions, is working on intelligent algorithms for the car’s battery management system. Its EVE-Ai software actively optimises the power demand between the two energy systems to maximize the efficiency and performance of the car by customizing the control strategy according to the battery conditions, operating environment and driving style.
Highlighting a “new excellence of Made in Italy,” the Fulminea is expected to hit the market in the second half of 2023 with just 61 units to be produced, costing around 2.38 million dollars each.
