Aston Martin unveiled a prototype of a Rapide converted with an all-electric drivetrain, the ‘Rapide E’, back in 2015. Now, the British automaker is releasing more details about its first electric vehicle ahead of the start of production next year and they released a teaser image. (above)
Last year, Aston Martin partnered with Williams Advanced Engineering, the tech division of the Williams Formula 1 team, to make the vehicle’s electric powertrain.
Today, the company confirmed that the powertrain consists of “an 800V battery electrical architecture with 65kWh installed capacity using over 5600 lithium ion 18650 format cylindrical cells” powering “two rear-mounted electric motors producing a combined target output of just over 610PS and a colossal 950Nm of torque.”
It claims to achieve a range of “over 200 miles under the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP).”
They say the 800v battery system will be able to accept a charge rate of “100kW or higher.”
Aston Martin released the following image of the dual motor powertrain of the Rapide E:
The automaker released some projected performance specs, including a “top speed of 155mph, a sub-4.0sec 0-60mph time and a 50-70mph time of just 1.5sec.”
Aston Martin wants to stand out by being able to deliver on that capacity for long period of times and not just when the battery pack is completely charged:
“It’s important to stress that these figures are not restricted to a narrow window only when the batteries are fully-charged. Instead the target is for maximum performance on-demand throughout majority of the battery state of charge window, as would be expected from a conventional internal combustion-engined car. This includes the ability to drive a full lap of the Nürburgring with absolutely no derating of the battery and the ability to cope with the daily demands of repeated hard acceleration and braking.”
Andy Palmer, CEO Aston Martin, commented on the new information released today:
“Environmental responsibility and sustainability is a global challenge faced by us all. As a career automotive engineer, I’m proud that the car industry is leading the way in finding long-term solutions and reducing harmful emissions. As Aston Martin’s CEO, I take particular satisfaction working with Williams Advanced Engineering and our other associated technology partners to bring Rapide E to reality. As our first all-electric production model, Rapide E will fast-track our knowledge and help us ensure the character and high-performance capabilities of our future EV models and enhance the unique qualities found in all Aston Martins as we know them today. Rapide E will also serve as a critical step on our path to re-launching Lagonda as the world’s first zero-emission luxury marque”
The company says that they will make a limited production run of 155 units of the Rapide E next year with the “first customer deliveries scheduled for Q4 2019.”
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