Production-ready Aston Martin Rapide E revealed
All-electric 612hp vision of the future unveiled at the Shanghai show - and you can order one now
Nearly two years since the concept was announced, Aston Martin has chosen this week's Shanghai show as the place to unveil the first example of its only fully-electric production car to date; the Rapide E. Manufacture of the battery-powered saloon will be restricted to just 155 units but, while the firm itself mentions the model in the same breath as other limited-run special editions such as the DB4 GT Continuation and Vanquish Zagato, in reality it represents much, much more than that.
Not only it is the company's first full EV, but also the first product to emerge from its new St Athan production facility, too. From 2021 the factory, dubbed the "home of electrification" by Aston, will also play host to the reborn Lagonda brand, which in its new guise will produce only battery-powered vehicles. Think of this, then, not as an eco-friendly counterpart to the V12-powered Rapide AMR which Matt so enjoyed last month, but rather as a taste of what the luxury car market may very soon become.
With that in mind, the news is not at all bad. Rear-mounted twin-motors - produced for Aston by award-winning British engineering firm Integral Powertrain - deliver 612hp and 700lb ft of torque. For those keeping score at home, that's 9hp and 235lb ft more than the 6.0-litre engine in that AMR could manage, and enough to propel the EV from 0-62mph in just 4.2 seconds, 0.2 seconds faster than its fossil-fuelled predecessor.
Those numbers may not seem particularly mind-bending when viewed through a Ludicrous Mode-coated, Tesla-shaped lens, but Aston's project has been developed in collaboration with Williams Advanced Engineering, and as CEO Andy Palmer has previously stated, the Rapide E is not focussed on outright performance. As he not-so-delicately put it, it's been designed to target "those guys looking for something above Tesla. That customer probably isn't looking for 'Ludicrous mode'... you'll be able to drive the car rapidly all the way around the Nurburgring without it derating or conking out on you."
Of course, because the Rapide was not designed as an EV from the get go, it doesn't benefit from the lower centre of gravity that would have been delivered by a battery pack mounted low in the car. Instead a bespoke lithium-ion architecture occupies the areas where the engine, gearbox and fuel tank were once located, meaning that plenty of more traditional engineering is needed to ensure the ride and handling remain up to scratch. Luckily, a proper limited-slip differential, independent double-wishbone suspension all-round and 400mm six-piston front brakes with 360mm four-pot items at the rear should mean that, while the Rapide E may not be powered like any previous Aston, it'll still drive like one.
And look like one, too, given the new car's resemblance to the old, though there are one or two noteworthy differences. Thanks to the reduced need for cooling, a new honeycomb grille forms part of an optimised front end, while the removal of the exhaust pipe has allowed for the implementation of a redesigned underfloor and full-width rear diffuser. Combined with a new set of 21-inch 'aero' wheels, the changes make for an eight per cent improvement in aerodynamic efficiency over a petrol Rapide. Meanwhile, weight-saving carbon fibre body panels join the standard car's aluminium ones for the first time in an effort to minimise weight gain.
This efficiency drive leaves the Rapide E with a WLTP-rated range of over 200 miles - though it's likely to be the quality, rather than the quantity, of those miles on which the car's success will be judged. An on-board AC charger is capable of recharging the battery in three hours, though thanks to the 800V high-voltage battery system much faster stops are possible with the right set up.
Speaking ahead of the Rapide E's Shanghai debut, Andy Palmer said: "Unveiling the Rapide E will be a huge moment for Aston Martin. As our first all-electric production car, it is a truly historic step. One that signals Aston Martin is prepared for the huge challenge of an environmentally responsible and sustainable future. As a car company we cannot afford to passively allow that future to come to us; we have to actively chase it. Only by doing this can we learn and prepare, but also preserve those things we love as drivers and car enthusiasts. That's why it was so important to me that in embracing EV technology we should not let go of those unique qualities that define an Aston Martin. I believe Rapide E embodies that desire and paves the way for a hugely exciting future."
The new model is available to order now, with prices available on application. However much it costs, though, it'll likely look a bargain for its 155 owners should Aston's 'exciting electric future' become a reality. As the company's first EV, and a truly transitional model from its internal combustion origins to its battery-powered future, the Rapide E could prove a hugely noteworthy milestone in Aston Martin's celebrated history. 2069 Continuation edition, anyone?
If you can afford a limited run, if you have to ask the price Aston, I’m pretty sure the price of super is of little concern.
Tesla get a lot of hate, some justified, but they were offering better performance and better range in 2012. That’s how far behind you are.
This is a rehash of an old car with some batteries plonked where a soulful and sonorous ICE once lived. And no doubt some previous gen Mercedes infotainment (along with that godawful squeering wheel).
Aston. You’re going to have to do a hell of a lot better than that. Am doing a disappoint. None of these four door saloons will ever see the Nordschleife either by the way
And PH, is it or it is?
As a former phev owner and having several friends with a Tesla I think this is a really desirable car for general use and think that bringing a limited edition to market first makes perfect sense.
P.s; I’m saving up for something else. AM are on a roll!
Some of the comments above are valid - would it be better to have had a new custom body rather than shoehorn EV tech into a body designed for ICE - maybe, but I see this as no different to what Mini are doing with their E- Hatch - just at a different end of the market.
I personally think the Rapide has become more elegant with age - and REALLY want one - need to find some cash at the back of the sofa !
C'mon, guys. Copy/pasting from press releases is one thing, but please at least try to cast an eye over what you're publishing. These two details would seem mutually incompatible, and while they might not be, you're not giving us any insight into Aston's claims here. Either query and dismiss, or provide a bit more information/clarification for those of us who care to look past 0-60 times.
Banging out jargon-y buzzwords is fine for pub bore boasting, but this is Pistonheads. You're meant to be better than this.
Common as muck.
S
what is interesting is that only 800 of that 952 appear to be licensed or sorn'd
If you can afford a limited run, if you have to ask the price Aston, I’m pretty sure the price of super is of little concern.
Tesla get a lot of hate, some justified, but they were offering better performance and better range in 2012. That’s how far behind you are.
This is a rehash of an old car with some batteries plonked where a soulful and sonorous ICE once lived. And no doubt some previous gen Mercedes infotainment (along with that godawful squeering wheel).
Aston. You’re going to have to do a hell of a lot better than that. Am doing a disappoint. None of these four door saloons will ever see the Nordschleife either by the way
And PH, is it or it is?
Whilst it is nice that Aston have taken a step towards electric cars (because they have to) simply bodging a battery pack and electric motors into a car is hardly pushing the boundaries.
It's a bit like VW's offerings. Do you look at the Electric Golf that has all the crap bits of an IC-engined car and all the crap bits of an electric car combined into one deeply disappointing whole, or do you wait for the proper version that has been designed as an electric vehicle from the start?
This Aston is just a headline generator rather than a serious attempt at changing anything, though it might give them some experience if they do decide to do it properly. The problem there being, do Aston have the money to do it properly?
So to summarise, meh.
I think Andy Palmer shouldn't be attempting to compare this to 'something above' a Tesla. Really? Worse range, slower, with the electric bits shoehorned into a car that was designed for an IC engine? Knowing what Aston interiors look like I doubt it'll be nicer to sit in than the Tesla either.
Sure, it looks better. A lot better. That's what Aston Martin do, after all. But 'something above' a Tesla? Nah m8, you're having a laugh.
Limited performance compared to Tesla sounds like PR crafted excuses for not being able to take on Tesla toe-to-toe (and this is coming from someone who isn't a Tesla fan).
You could have a Model S P100D and a 600LT and a Range Rover Sport for the price of one of these - I know where my dosh would be heading.
Maybe not then, your three car garage is way more temping!
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