(Yicai Global) May 13 -- Renowned Italian car designer Pininfarina showed off two of its new concept cars at Auto Shanghai 2019 as it looks to expand its business by working with new-energy vehicle makers.

The Cambiano-based firm brought two designs to the show, held from April 16 through April 25. The first, the electric Karma Pininfarina GT, was made for Karma Automotive, while the second was a hydrogen concept car built for Grove Hydrogen Automotive. Both designs were first-time collaborations between Pininfarina and the manufacturers.

Pininfarina tied up in August with California-based Karma, which has been acquired by Chinese parts supplier Wanxiang before, to design the all-new 2020 Karma Revero. Its partnership with hydrogen fuel cell maker Grove, headquartered in China's Wuhan, is also recent, and the firm  designed the H600 for Hong Kong's Hybrid Kinetic Group two years ago.

The designer has been working with Chinese automakers for over 20 years now, and manufacturers in the country contribute to a quarter of its global revenue, according to Chief Executive Silvio Pietro Angori, who did not disclose any specific numbers.

But competition is now on the rise, with major Chinese automakers Geely and BYD hiring acclaimed foreign designers Peter Horbury and Wolfgang Josef Egger to head up their design departments.

"Half of our designers are Chinese," Angori said. "China has some young design talent. Pininfarina can contribute to elevating their skills." 

Editor: James Boynton