The upcoming Aston Martin DBX, CEO Andy Palmer’s so-called “second-century” plan to break the fabled British brand name out of its typical mold, yet there’s even more afoot in Gaydon compared to simply a super-luxury crossover. Palmer has formerly pointed to a future all-electric variation of the exciting Aston Martin Rapide, yet he’s currently stating that a high-performance, all-wheel-drive variant might make as high as 1,000 hp.
Palmer informed Autocar, that the top-spec Aston Martin RapidE can employ an electric motor at each of its 4 wheels for a total of 800-1,000 hp. “We’re going to require the traction of all 4 wheels to deal with the torque,” stated Palmer, that likewise hinted at torque-vectoring and also regenerative braking modern technologies. The RapidE idea was disclosed as part of a U.K.-China “creative summit” to coincide with current Chinese president Xi Jinping’s visit to the UK.
This high-performance Aston Martin RapidE would certainly enter advancement after the launch of an introductory design, which can arrive by 2017. This preliminary RapidE (which a prototype currently exists) would have about 550 hp (matching that of the existing V-12) making use of electric motors as well as rear-wheel drive. This high-end EV would have a variety of about 200 miles, while its high-performance version would certainly have a slightly reduced array. Relatively, the Tesla Version S P85D has an array of 275 miles.
Aston Martin is not keeping it as a secret that it is targeting the Tesla Version S with its upcoming RapidE. With its more distinguished badge and greater price factor, Palmer intends to position the RapidE in a room that’s still unique however not absurdly unattainable. Palmer told Autocar that he hopes to create 400 units a year in Gaydon, as well as offer 100 of those RapidE units every year in China, most likely with a beginning price of around ₤ 200,000.
Consistent with exactly what Palmer informed in an interview at the New York automobile show previously this year, the Aston Martin RapideE would function both as a method to bring in new customers and also as a means of achieving stricter discharges specifications, specifically in China. The automobile is under growth with the assistance of the U.K.’s Williams Advanced Design, alongside financial investment funding from ChinaEquity from Shanghai.
