The world’s first guilt-free “hypercar” has been unveiled at the Geneva International Motor Show.

Automobili Pininfarina’s Battista is electric and has a top speed that exceeds 350 kph, making it one of the fastest road cars on the planet.

The firm, headquartered in Germany but with its roots in Italian car design firm Pininfarina, says the vehicle can accelerate from 0 to 300 kph in under 12 seconds. It can also do 450 kilometres on a single charge.

“This is the most authentic and exciting automotive story imaginable,” said Michael Perschke, chief executive of Automobili Pininfarina.

“The Battista is the hypercar of the future, inspired by a legendary past.

“It combines true inspiration and innovation in its technical achievement and emotional appeal.

‘Electrification unlocks the door to a new level of performance and a zero-emissions future, whilst a passion and respect for automotive history will define how this landmark car looks and feels.

‘We aim for the Battista to be a future classic and automotive icon, writing its own page in automotive history books.”

The car, available next year, will cost €2 million.

“Today marks a significant step for the launch of a range of Pininfarina-branded cars beginning with the Pininfarina Battista, a car whose name alone fills us with pride,” he added.

“It will be the most powerful Italian-built sports car in history, the first luxury hypercar to be conceived in Italy and will deliver ground-breaking all-electric performance in a beautiful body.”