Gaydon, United Kingdom – An electric Aston Martin is due for 2019. In a statement, the British luxury sports car manufacturer confirmed production of its first all-electric car, the RapidE. However, they will be a rare breed. Aston Martin only plans to produce 155 units.
The electric Aston Martin is the realization of a concept car the company revealed two years ago.
“Having unveiled the RapidE Concept back in October 2015, we reach another milestone with the confirmation that we are now putting the first electric Aston Martin into production,” said Aston Martin President and CEO Andy Palmer. “RapidE represents a sustainable future in which Aston Martin’s values of seductive style and supreme performance don’t merely co-exist alongside a new zero-emission powertrain, but are enhanced by it.
“The internal combustion engine has been at the heart of Aston Martin for more than a century, and will continue to be for years to come. RapidE will showcase Aston Martin’s vision, desire and capability to successfully embrace radical change, delivering a new breed of car that stays true to our ethos and delights our customers.”
Aston Martin originally partnered with Chinese tech company LeEco on the RapidE. The company is also the main financial backer behind Faraday Future, a U.S. electric-car startup.
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However, given LeEco’s continued financial woes, the company has pulled out of the electric Aston Martin project.
The severed relationship had big implications on the project. In an interview with Reuters, Palmer said it forced Aston Martin to push back the launch date and cut the production run. In turn, that means a much bigger price tag, somewhere around $255,000.
Though LeEco may be out, Aston Martin can still rely on Williams Advanced Engineering for help developing the RapidE’s battery technology.
Williams Advanced Engineering is the engineering arm of Williams Formula One team. The group collaborated on the original RapidE concept.
“This project with Aston Martin will draw on the extensive battery and EV experience we have accumulated,” said Paul McNamara, Williams Advanced Engineering technical director.
“We are extremely pleased to be supporting this prestigious British company with their future electrification strategy.”
The Aston Martin Rapide S lends its design to the electric RapidE. It is unclear what sort of electric motor will replace the Rapide’s V12 engine.
In 2015, Palmer said the RapidE concept car had 800 to 1,000 horsepower and a 200-mile range.
The RapidE will serve as a type of test run for a second all-electric vehicle. Aston Martin plans to manufacture a higher-volume electric SUV at its second factory in St. Athan, Wales.
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