Just a few days ago, it emerged that Aston Martin is considering creating an electric version of the Rapide sedan. Now further details about the car have emerged thanks to Aston Martin chief executive Andy Palmer.
When quizzed about going into the high-end electric car market, Palmer revealed exactly why he is interested in doing just that with the Rapide.
“If you look at just pure configuration, Tesla Model S and Rapide are not so far away from each other. I am sure most of the Teslas of the world are heavily loaded and maxed-out on all of their options, and I’m pretty sure most of the people buying them would spend more money if there was something else available, and there’s not. I think there are more than a few customers that would be interested in [an Aston that met demand].”
As for what could power an all-electric Aston Martin Rapide, Palmer revealed that the electric cells could be sourced from the likes of LG or Panasonic and confirmed that the British automaker certainly won’t produce its own battery cells.
“Batteries in particular become more and more of a commodity. We could go out to the LGs and Panasonics of the world to source the cells; we’re not going to make our own cells. We can pack them in Gaydon. Motors, there are a bunch of Japanese manufacturers. We’ll buy the units themselves, but always the clever part of an electric car is the integration.”
As for the reports from earlier in the week, they suggested that the batteries could be placed in the engine bay as well as down the spine of the British luxury sedan. Elsewhere, an inverter would be installed into the boot with electric motors driving both the front and rear wheels. All-wheel drive will be a necessity if a total power figure around 1000 hp is achieved. Alongside that number, the electric Rapide could also sport a 200 mile range.
[Via Automobile Magazine]
