Aston Martin might be one of the most old-school brands around – after all, it makes the car of choice for James Bond – but it’s about to get a whole lot more futuristic. In 2019 the British supercar manufacturer will build an all-electric supercar, and it’s calling it the RapidE.
Confirmed in an interview with Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer, only 155 examples of the new car will be produced – and it won’t be accessible like the Tesla Model 3 either. “We’ve decided to make this car rare, which will obviously tend to push the price higher,” Palmer said. “Aston Martin now plans to proceed independently, funding further development of RapidE by ourselves.”
Aston Martin originally planned the car to be a joint project with Chinese firm LeEco, but since the firm pulled out, the British brand has had to push the RapidE’s release date back by a year and make it a limited-edition model instead. Batteries for the car will now be provided by a consortium led by Williams Advanced Engineering, and the RapidE will cost just under £200,000 – £50,000 more than the standard Rapide.
Because it’s an Aston Martin, it will be fast too, but whether the RapidE will be a match for its 5.9-litre V12-powered sibling is another matter entirely. The normal Rapide puts out 470 horsepower, and CEO Andy Palmer has told Autocar the RapidE could be available in either rear-drive and all-wheel drive trim, with power spanning from 550 to 800 hp (410 to 597 kW).
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