Aston Martin has announced a raft of technical details about their first full-electric production car - the four-door Rapid E.
Developed in partnership with Williams Advanced Engineering, a technology and engineering services business established by the Williams Formula 1 team, Aston Martin's first electric car is scheduled to make its way to customers by the end of 2019. Williams Advanced Engineering is regarded as a leader in EV technology having already developed lightweight EV platforms, and the company has spearheaded Aston Martin's electric powertrain development.
Aston Martin say the Rapid E will retain the 'feel, character and delivery of the V12-engined Rapide S', and the company's first EV will share the same high output, rear-wheel drive layout as the four-door sports saloon.
Rapide E will be powered by a 800V battery with 64kWh capacity, mounted where the original 6.0-litre V12, gearbox and fuel tank were located. The battery will power two rear-mounted electric motors producing a combined target output of just over 450kW and 950Nm of torque.
Read more: Aston Martin Rapide road test
Aston Martin Rapid E powertrain diagram. Photo / Aston Martin
Projected top speed for the Rapide E is 250km/h with a sub-4.0sec 0-100km/h time and a 80-110km/h time of 1.5sec.
But while some EVs can only achieve top performance when the battery is full-charged, Aston Martin say this will not be the case with Rapid E. Instead, Aston's first EV is designed to deliver maximum performance on-demand throughout the majority of the battery state of charge. 'This includes the ability to drive a full lap of the Nürburgring (20km) with absolutely no derating of the battery,' according to Aston Martin.
Aston Martin's target range for the Rapide E is 'over 200 miles' (321km) in real-world conditions, while the model is capable of charging at a rate of 185 miles of range per hour using a typical 400V, 50kW charger. However, the car’s 800V high-voltage battery also enables faster charging of 310 miles per hour using an 800V outlet delivering 100kW or higher.
Read more: Aston Martin reveal monster Rapide AMR
Rapid E front wheel and fender. Photo / Aston Martin
The car’s exterior and underbody has been re-optimised for its new powertrain with higher levels of aerodynamic and cooling performance over the standard Rapide S. The new body will be matched with newly-designed aerodynamic wheels and Pirelli P-Zero tyres featuring noise-cancelling foam.
Throughout the engineering team have focused on achieving effective cooling of the batteries and motor to ensure consistent performance, while 'strict weight targets' have been 'stringently observed' thanks to exstensive use of lightweight alloys and carbon composite materials.
Speaking of the Rapide E programme, Andy Palmer, CEO Aston Martin, commented: “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 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”.
Rapide E will be built at a new production facility in Wales, and the company is now accepting expressions of interest with pricing available on application from any Aston Martin dealer.
