Aston Martin RapidE concept: first electric car preview

It had been rumoured for several months that Aston Martin was interested in developing a fully electric vehicle to take on the all-powerful Tesla Model S. Some time later, the British brand itself confirmed the rumour and said it was already working on developing this vehicle based on the Aston Martin Rapide, the Model S’s arch-rival. Now, this vehicle is a reality, although it is a prototype and a joint manufacturing project aimed at China.

Called the Aston Martin RapidE concept, this prototype represents the British brand’s first fully electric vehicle, developed in collaboration with Williams Advanced Engineering. The model has been displayed outside Lancaster House, in London, during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to the British Royal Household. This marketing strategy is clever, since the RapidE has been designed with potential Chinese investors in mind, who believe a production version would make sense.

In fact, during the event, Aston Martin and the investment group ChinaEquity announced an agreement to explore the production potential of the concept. If successful, the new electric luxury sports car would be built at Aston Martin’s global headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, and could reach the market in around two years. For the time being, no data or specifications have been offered regarding the electric powertrain and batteries.

“We see luxury electric vehicles as an intrinsic part of our future product portfolio and welcome ChinaEquity to the next phase of study for the development of the project. The RapidE concept tangibly demonstrates the capability and ambition of Aston Martin towards developing low-emission and zero-emission sports cars,” said Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer. Don’t miss the video below.

Via | CarScoops