Pininfarina Wind Tunnel Playing Key Role in EV Research

As Pininfarina’s wind tunnel celebrates its 50^th birthday, its role in the company’s future has never been more important.

That’s because, as the global automotive industry transitions from internal-combustion to electrified powertrains, aerodynamics are more essential than ever in increasing range and performance. This is not lost on the famous Italian design house.

From its creation in 1972, the wind tunnel in Grugliasco, near Turin, has helped Pininfarina excel in aerodynamic and aeroacoustic research for automotive and other industries including aircraft, high-speed trains, yachts, buildings, wind engineering, industrial design and sporting goods.

Now its testing capabilities are evolving thanks to the development of innovative measurement techniques in both the aerodynamic and aeroacoustic fields. The wind tunnel also is one of the few facilities in the world to have a Turbulence Generator System able to create various conditions of controlled turbulence associated with wind gusts, overtaking maneuvers, crosswinds and vortices generated by cars ahead. The Ground Effect Simulation System allows faithful reproduction of real vehicle-motion conditions.

CEO Silvio Pietro Angori says: “The Wind Tunnel has given our company a considerable competitive edge, being the only design company to own one. Born as a tool with which Pininfarina developed its own projects, today it’s a strategic asset for the group, thus expanding the portfolio of services that we offer to the market – an activity that supports other sectors beyond the automotive, from transportation to architecture, from nautical to industrial design.”