With major automakers in the industry taking the EV route in order to cater to the increasingly stringent emission norms in some of the major markets around the world, Aston Martin has unveiled its first hand on the segment.
The company on Wednesday announced that its luxury sedan Rapide would take the form of its first electric production car. Aston Martin recently invested 50 million pounds in its new plant at St. Athans in Wales to be its new 'home of electrification'. This is the same plant where the new Rapide E is expected to be manufactured.
The 155 Rapide E sedans, as the company claims will be made using the best of Aston Martin's electric powertrain technology. The new Rapide E, instead of its traditional 6.0-litre V-12 engine, will have an 800-volt, 65-kilowatt-hour battery which the British carmaker claims to be efficient enough to provide over 320 km of range.
"Environmental responsibility and sustainability is a global challenge faced by us all," stated Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer in the automaker's press release. "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."
Aston Martin declined to comment further on the powertrains. However, it is likely that the new sedan would have a pair of electric motors supplying the power to the rear wheels. The Drive reports that an Xtrac transmission and a limited-slip differential have been used to supply the power exclusively to the rear wheels.
Output figures stand at 602 hp of power and 950 Nm of torque. The new numbers would help the car see triple digit speeds in under four seconds. Some of the credit to this exclaiming performance can be attributed towards Williams Advanced Engineering which is an offshoot from Britain's F1 team.
New suspensions on the Rapide E will use altered damping and spring rates to provide the driver with a gasoline-type ride feel. Reports suggest that the deliveries of the new Rapide E are slated to begin by the fourth quarter of this year.
