Legendary design agency Italdesign and Williams Superior Engineering, a derivative of the Williams Formula One team), are partnering on a modular EV platform for low-volume manufacturing. The purpose is to develop a whole rolling chassis that may help a wide range of automobiles, the 2 corporations mentioned in a press launch Wednesday.

“We purpose to develop car architectures within the GT, sedan, crossover, and convertible markets, totally customizable inside and out of doors,” Italdesign CTO Antonio Casu mentioned in an announcement. “We’re focusing on enterprise instances that cowl totally different manufacturing volumes from an ultra-limited sequence as much as 10,000 models, 500 of which might be constructed by Italdesign at our services in Turin.”

The platform, referred to as EVX, can deal with as much as 1,000 kw (1,341 hp) of energy output, with energy-storage capability of 104 kwh to 120 kwh, in response to Williams. The battery pack will also be expanded to 160 kwh, permitting for as much as 621 miles of vary (seemingly as measured on the European testing cycle), in response to the corporate.

The pack was designed in-house by Williams, which has loads of expertise with EV batteries. The corporate was the unique battery provider for Method E, and can return to that position for the 2022-2023 season. It additionally provides batteries for the ETCR and Extreme E electrical race sequence.

Williams designed the battery pack to be a part of the car’s construction, mounting entrance and rear structural parts on to the carbon-composite battery case. This, together with the design of the facet sills, means much less reliance on the higher physique construction for torsional rigidity and crashworthiness, giving designers extra freedom, in response to Williams.

The platform also can accommodate totally different wheelbase lengths, in addition to rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Italdesign will pen the bodywork primarily based on consumer corporations’ preferences.

Italdesign and Williams did not title any purchasers, however they don’t seem to be the one corporations growing a third-party modular EV platform.

Automotive provider Magna is supplying its personal platform for the Fisker Ocean crossover, whereas Rivian is utilizing its “skateboard” platform as the premise for Amazon delivery vans and no less than one future Ford EV. Even Foxconn—the corporate that contract manufactures Apple iPhone—hopes to enter the automobile enterprise with its own platform.