Aston Martin’s Electric Future: The Rapide E
Aston Martin is venturing into the electric vehicle market with the Rapide E, a battery-powered version of its four-door Rapide. The British automaker has released details about the Rapide E, which has been developed in collaboration with Williams Advanced Engineering, a company affiliated with Formula 1 racing.
The Rapide E will use an 800-volt electrical architecture and a 65.0 kWh battery pack comprising 5600 lithium-ion cells. This replaces the V-12 engine found in the standard Rapide model.
Performance and Charging Capabilities
Aston Martin is targeting a range exceeding 200 miles for the Rapide E, comparable to the Tesla Model S 75 and the Jaguar I-Pace. The car’s 800-volt battery pack enables rapid charging. With a 400-volt DC connection, the pack can be replenished in about an hour. If an 800-volt charger is used, charging time is reduced to less than an hour.
The electric motors deliver a combined output of over 602 horsepower and 700 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels. Performance estimates suggest a 0 to 60 mph acceleration in under 4.0 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph. According to the company, this level of performance is maintained even as the battery’s charge decreases.
As Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer noted after driving an early Rapide E prototype, the car can be driven at high speeds, like on the Nürburgring, continuously without a performance reduction.
Production and Availability
Aston Martin plans to produce 155 units of the Rapide E, with all of them already pre-sold to an exclusive clientele. The first deliveries are expected in late 2019.
