First All-Electric Aston Martin – Secrets Revealed
Aston Martin has been developing its first all-electric production car — the Rapide E. The luxury British marque confirmed a raft of technical details for the strictly limited 155-unit special edition on September 12, 2018.
Working closely with Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE) as its development partner, Aston Martin has utilised the hugely successful leader in Electric Vehicle (EV) technology to kickstart a new era for Aston Martin’s powertrain technology and overcome the technical challenges associated with packaging the battery system and motors within the space available.
Rapide E will be powered by an 800V battery electrical architecture with 65kWh installed capacity using over 5600 lithium ion 18650 format cylindrical cells. These are mounted in a bespoke battery pack where the original 6.0-litre V12, its gearbox and fuel tank were located. This battery system powers two rear mounted electric motors producing a combined target output of just over 610PS and a colossal 950Nm of torque.
Whilst the model is capable of charging at a rate of 185[1,2] miles of range per hour using a typical 400V 50kW charger, the car’s 800V high-voltage battery system enables faster charging of 310[1,2] miles of range per hour, using an 800V outlet delivering 100kW or higher.
Being an Aston Martin, the Rapide E is being developed with a high-performance objective. Projected top speed for the Rapide E is 155mph, with a sub-4.0sec 0-60mph time and a 50-70mph time of just 1.5sec.
The car’s exterior and underbody has also been aerodynamically optimised with newly-designed aerodynamic wheels. Shod with Pirelli P-Zeros, Rapide E’s bespoke tyres aim to deliver a lower rolling-resistance and reduced cavity noise, while still delivering superior dynamic capability. Rapide E aims to achieve higher levels of aerodynamic, frictional losses and cooling performance over the standard Rapide S.
Though the Rapide E will be built in low volumes, it is being subjected to Aston Martin’s stringent and exhaustive testing protocols, with the dedicated WAE team working closely alongside Aston Martin personnel to ensure every aspect of the prototype test programme follows the marque’s established procedures. Uniquely, customers will be an extended part of the ongoing Rapide E programme, with their comments and driving experiences providing an invaluable stream of feedback that will help shape and improve future Aston Martin EVs.
In addition to WAE, the Rapide E programme is supported by other technical partners including Hyperbat Limited — a new joint venture company between Williams Advanced Engineering and Unipart Manufacturing Group — as the battery manufacturer, Integral Powertrain for the electric motors, Xtrac for the transmission and the H1PERBAT project consortium with grant funding from the Advanced Propulsion Centre.
Andy Palmer, CEO Aston Martin, commented,”as our first all-electric production model, Rapide E will fast-track our knowledge and help us ensure the character and high-performance capabilities of our future EV models and enhance the unique qualities found in all Aston Martins as we know them today. Rapide E will also serve as a critical step on our path to re-launching Lagonda as the world’s first zero-emission luxury marque.”
Customer deliveries are set for Q4 2019.
Source: Aston Martin Lagonda