“The car has the kind of torque and punch that you’d expect from an EV”… Just bring money, lots of it.
Following a public reveal at Auto Shanghai last month, Aston Martin’s first all-electric model – Rapide E –took to the city’s streets for it first public demonstration ahead of the marketing festival dubbed Formula E Monaco ePrix.
Aston Martin works driver and 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Darren Turner took the wheel of Aston Martin’s first all-electric production car, which company claims will be limited to 155 production cars. Unknown is how many Kuwait investors who now effectively own Aston will buy the super car.
AutoInformed on Aston
Promoted as the most powerful Rapide model ever, the car’s twin rear-mounted electric motors deliver a combined expected output of 612PS and – gulp – 950Nm torque.
Rapide E is powered by an 800-volt electrical architecture battery – encased in a carbon fiber and Kevlar casing – with a 65kWh installed capacity using more than 5600 lithium-ion 18650 format cylindrical cells. This custom battery pack resides where the original 6.0-litre V12, gearbox and fuel tank were located, with the 800-volt system allowing for more efficient charging and improved thermal characteristics over existing electrical architectures, it’s claimed.
“The car has the kind of torque and punch that you’d expect from an EV, but they’ve really worked hard to retain the dynamic characteristics of what makes an Aston Martin special,” said Darren Turner said following the PR stunt.
Aston says that the final allocations for Aston Martin Rapide E are available “with pricing on application.” Production will commence in Q4 2019 at Aston Martin Lagonda’s new production facility in St Athan, Wales. Rapide E will likely cost more than $330,000 (~£250,000). Prices for the gasoline-powered Rapide S start at $220,000.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Aston Martin Rapide E Driving Debut at Monaco
“The car has the kind of torque and punch that you’d expect from an EV”… Just bring money, lots of it.
Following a public reveal at Auto Shanghai last month, Aston Martin’s first all-electric model – Rapide E –took to the city’s streets for it first public demonstration ahead of the marketing festival dubbed Formula E Monaco ePrix.
Aston Martin works driver and 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Darren Turner took the wheel of Aston Martin’s first all-electric production car, which company claims will be limited to 155 production cars. Unknown is how many Kuwait investors who now effectively own Aston will buy the super car.
AutoInformed on Aston
Promoted as the most powerful Rapide model ever, the car’s twin rear-mounted electric motors deliver a combined expected output of 612PS and – gulp – 950Nm torque.
Rapide E is powered by an 800-volt electrical architecture battery – encased in a carbon fiber and Kevlar casing – with a 65kWh installed capacity using more than 5600 lithium-ion 18650 format cylindrical cells. This custom battery pack resides where the original 6.0-litre V12, gearbox and fuel tank were located, with the 800-volt system allowing for more efficient charging and improved thermal characteristics over existing electrical architectures, it’s claimed.
“The car has the kind of torque and punch that you’d expect from an EV, but they’ve really worked hard to retain the dynamic characteristics of what makes an Aston Martin special,” said Darren Turner said following the PR stunt.
Aston says that the final allocations for Aston Martin Rapide E are available “with pricing on application.” Production will commence in Q4 2019 at Aston Martin Lagonda’s new production facility in St Athan, Wales. Rapide E will likely cost more than $330,000 (~£250,000). Prices for the gasoline-powered Rapide S start at $220,000.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.