2018-09-12 08:00
Aston Martin’s first pure-electric car, the Rapide E, will have more than 600bhp on tap when it arrives with customers before the end of next year, the company has revealed.
The pure-EV version of the Rapide saloon will be built in tiny numbers at the British luxury brand's new facility in St Athan, Wales. Only 155 examples have been confirmed for production.
Aston's plans for an all-electric Rapide have been well known for some time, but the firm has only now released details on the technical make-up of the switch from V12 to battery power. The new car will have a pair of electric motors driving the rear wheels with more than 602bhp and 950Nm of torque.
The Rapide E will therefore be rear-wheel drive only - although it will be equipped with a limited-slip differential in a bid to cope better with the huge reserves of power and torque. Aston says it is targeting a top speed of 155mph for the car, and states that it should be capable of 0-62mph in less than four seconds and 50-70mph in just 1.5 seconds.
The car's 800-volt electrical architecture will allow its 64kWh battery to be recharged at a rate of 310 miles per hour on an 800V outlet delivering 100kW or higher. A more conventional 400V 50kW charger will add around 185 miles per hour connected. The battery pack - which comprises more than 5,600 lithium-ion cells - is mounted in the space where the conventionally powered Rapide's V12 engine, gearbox and fuel tank are situated. Aston says it is targeting an official range - on the tougher WLTP efficiency test - of more than 200 miles.
There's no word yet on how the Rapide's construction has been altered to accommodate the electric motors and the considerable weight of the batteries. However, Aston says the car has "strict weight targets" and that lightweight alloys and carbon-composite materials both feature. The car also has reprofiled spring and damper settings, and a new design of aerodynamic wheels, wrapped around low rolling-resistance tyres equipped with noise-cancelling foam. Aston says the car should have aerodynamic, frictional and cooling advantages over a conventionally powered Rapide S.
Several British engineering firms - including Williams Advanced Engineering and Xtrac - have joined forces with Aston to assist on the Rapide E's development. Owners of the car will be part of an ongoing programme, supplying feedback to influence Aston's future electric car development - including the forthcoming reborn Lagonda models.
Aston has also confirmed that just 155 examples of the Rapide E will be produced at St Athan, the new facility where the DBX SUV will also be manufactured. No price has been announced for car but Aston Martin says it is taking expressions of interest from customers, and that it expects first deliveries in autumn 2019.
Could you live with an Aston Martin Rapide E? Check out our guide to life with an electric car…
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