Aston Martin confirms ‘limited-production’ plan for its first all-electric vehicle

Back in 2015, Aston Martin unveiled a prototype of a Rapide converted with an all-electric drivetrain, the ‘RapidE’.

The British automaker announced today that they will bring the vehicle to production, but only with a limited run of 155 cars in 2019. 

While we were never expecting significant volume from Aston Martin, it is still disappointing for EV enthusiasts that they didn’t make the electric vehicle a more important part of their vehicle lineup.

In a statement about the RapidE today, Aston Martin President and CEO, Dr Andy Palmer, confirmed that they plan to stick to internal combustion engine “for years to come”:

“Having unveiled the RapidE Concept back in October 2015 we reach another milestone with the confirmation that we are now putting the first all-electric Aston Martin into production. 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.”

They released new sketches of the vehicle, which is based on the Rapide AMR concept:

They didn’t release any new spec on the car, but when first unveiling the prototype vehicle, Palmer said that they are aiming for it to be all-wheel-drive with over 200 miles of range, 800+ hp and is expected to retail for $200,000 to $250,000.

Today, Aston Martin also confirm that they partnered with Williams Advanced Engineering, the tech division of the Williams Formula 1 team, to make the vehicle.

Paul McNamara, Technical Director at Williams Advanced Engineering said:

“Williams Advanced Engineering has always endeavoured to work collaboratively with its customers to meet their sustainability challenges and find energy efficient solutions. For today’s car manufacturers, this is particularly important as legislation demands more energy efficient vehicles. This project with Aston Martin will draw on the extensive battery and EV experience we have accumulated and we are extremely pleased to be supporting this prestigious British company with their future electrification strategy.”

The company had the battery supply contract for the first few seasons of Formula E and they recently announced a $125 million investment to build an EV battery factory in the UK.