100%-Electric Aston Martin Rapide Coming Within 2 Years
The renowned luxury automotive company Aston Martin is now aiming to bring an all-electric version of its Rapide model to the consumer market within two years, according to recent reports.
The announcement came via the company’s CEO, Andy Palmer, who made the comments while speaking at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance recently. The all-electric version of the Rapide will reportedly possess somewhere around 800 horsepower, 200 miles of single-charge range, and all-wheel drive. Pricing is currently expected to be somewhere between $200,000–250,000, according to Palmer.
While the project is currently not very far along, the CEO is apparently of the opinion that an all-electric version of the company’s DBX model will likely follow the release of the electric Rapide.
Interestingly, the company is not aiming to compete with Tesla as far as super-fast acceleration (the “Ludicrous mode”) goes. Rather, other goals are in mind.
The CEO stated: “We don’t do Ludicrous because Ludicrous speed is stupid. I think that the fact that you could drive a few laps of a decent race course or race it around the Nordschleife [famed track in Germany] is much more interesting than doing 500 meters in Ludicrous mode.”
Electrek provides a bit more information:
Palmer is making reference to Tesla prioritizing acceleration over track performance. A Model S with Ludicrous mode can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds, but it doesn’t last long on a track due to battery limitations at high usage.
Aston’s CEO didn’t offer any details about how his company plans on achieving track performance with an all-electric Rapide, but he said the company is likely to source batteries from LG or Samsung, instead of Panasonic like Tesla Motors.
TeslaMondo also chimed in, adding some good words of wisdom:
Calling Tesla stupid for being ludicrous is insane. We need ludicrous because it’s crazy, and crazy is good. Why? Because if we weren’t a little crazy we’d all go insane. Yes, that’s a ludicrous notion, but it’s far from stupid. Jimmy Buffett wrote those words, and he’s not stupid. So there, Mr. Palmer. You want to diss Musk? You must answer to Buffett. Now there’s a ludicrous chain of logic for ya. But since it’s ludicrous, you’d call it stupid, forgetting that ludicrous is crazy, and crazy is good.
Seriously, calling Tesla’s insanely popular, record-shattering, mouth-watering, viral Ludicrous mode stupid is… well… moronic, at least from any kind of business perspective.
Still, it’s nice to see Aston Martin moving into the electric future. The move towards all-electric offerings is presumably part of the company’s current attempts to become profitable — with the strategy apparently being to expand the number of models on offer and bring annual production up to 7,000 vehicles (up from 3,400 produced last year).
Related:
Aston Martin Creating EV Version Of Rapide Model Within 2–3 Years, Company Head Says
Aston Martin Rapide May Offer Electric Version
Aston Martin CEO Talks 1,000 Horsepower Electric Car
Aston Martin DBX Concept Gets The Green Light
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Aston Martins point is nonsensical, they’re not trying to give a performance sports vehicle a fast off the line launch because they would rather it be capable of doing a few laps around a racetrack (presumably it needs to be a few laps to make up for the deliberately sluggish start) which the Tesla can also do but after a blistering fast start. The two are not mutually exclusive, makes you wonder whether much real thought has gone into what the project is about because the vision seems to be a partially formed yet already incongruous thought bubble.
Translation. Marketing told us to come up with something quick because we are whooped in the marketplace. Quick, make a distracting press release. Get some attention by referring to Tesla. Everyone reads about Tesla these days, maybe it will get us some sales.
Well, really AM, is not so bad. Its just that Tesla is so good. Undoubtedly there are cars that corner better. But all that and smooth, and quiet, and all the rest? I don’t even see people mention how smooth the ride is. I thought it was impressive. And zero vibration at a stoplight. Nothing beats the peace and quiet of an EV.
Price to be $200,000–250,000; Ok not planning to sell many.
From jealousy and criticizing Tesla, to building an EV to compete in less than 3 seconds. Impressive acceleration.
http://www.autoblog.com/2015/08/21/aston-martin-ceo-calls-tesla-model-s-ludicrous-mode-stupid/
Don’t worry. The only reason he is complaining about Tesla ludicrous mode is because he doesn’t have a model that can compete.
Look for the next round of AM cars to have prettier colors than Tesla. sarc.
The Tesla fans won’t like that statement, but it’s true. Despite the extreme quickness of a Model S, it starts limiting power very quickly if you take it somewhere where you can actually USE the power continuously. Like, within a couple laps of a rather short track like Laguna Seca. A GT car like the Rapide, while not exactly a track weapon, isn’t supposed to overheat it’s drivetrain when like that.
Yet the current P90D has 50% more range than the (planned) eRapide.
I look forward to a future face off between the two. It should be at once entertaining and immensely beneficial to EVs in general to have two world class gasmobile crushing all-electric beasts meet at high noon!
The quote from the Aston Martin CEO ripping Tesla was very funny, in a sad kind of way. His claim that the Tesla is only good for straight-line acceleration betrays both his ignorance and prejudice.
The Tesla P90D is is indeed wicked fast, but in both straight line AND lateral acceleration (cornering), pulling a full g in both. It is, in fact, just as good in the curvies (slolom) as the gasmobile Aston Martin Vanquish and Rapide (we’ll have to wait for the production eRapide stats).
His comments remind me of the ink spilt by the English press in years past ridiculing American muscle cars’ as unrefined dragsters, brawny on a straightaway but death traps in the curvies. That was true back in the 60s, but that assumption has been little more than infantile historical prejudice for more than a generation.
But as quid pro quo, I cannot resist asking Mr. Palmer the following:
Will the electrical system on the eRapide have a positive ground?
I wish them luck, and their right. How boring is it to be able to quietly blow past a Challenger Hellcat both 0-60 and in the quarter mile in a 4 door sedan that you can charge with solar juice?
At that sort of price, you have two main types of buyers. The first is the “Big Boss” type where they want comfort/reliability/image. The second is the “I’ve got more money than sense” type which wants acceleration/race track specs/”better than yours”.
Both of these types are currently met by the Tesla – If AM aren’t doing the second type, then they’ve got to go for the first one – with what looks like a much more expensive car.
i found a línk and set ít in my own profile; it explaìns without leavìng theír occupation, how a few hundred every week ìs beíng made by people
I’m eager to see another beautiful all-electric supercar. unfortunately, the price puts this out of the range of too many people, the range is a limiting factor for people looking to spend that much money, and it’s all just words for now… but better to have AM doing this than playing the much more idiotic game Maserati is playing: http://gas2.org/2015/07/30/maserati-ceo-doubles-down-on-fiat-idiocy-motor-trend-calls-bs/
There will always be people who are prepared to pay twice the price for effectively the same product because it has a nice shiny badge. Apple springs to mind 😉
Haha, very true.
But on the Apple front, after I finally switched, I felt like an idiot for not doing so earlier (prevented by statements such s yours). My Macbook Air is about 5 times better than the top-of-the-line HP I had right before it.
Is that OS X or are there some hardware features you like better?
I haven’t dug deeply enough into the tech to know where the benefit comes from, but I know it’s soooooo much better than previous laptops I’ve had that it is well worth it to me. And from a strict financial perspective, I’d say it improved my work efficiency enough to be well worth it.
Whenever i have used a Macbook the premium for the product is apparent and adds the equivalent value. My only experience of an Aston Martin was in a DB9 this year and i must say it was something else whereas my first experience in a Model S was this week. Obviously it’s not an EV to EV comparison but $100,000 of added value over the Tesla, i don’t think so.
Speaking of premium prices for premium products. I wonder how will a 35K Tesla differ from a 70K Tesla? That is, what will it lack, or what will it have reduced in to get a 35,000 price savings? I guess it can have a smaller motor and smaller battery if it is a lighter smaller car. But can it have less electronics? Maybe there is a lot of room for savings in “fit and finish” with regard to the interior and exterior. And the size of the car – the metal cost – must have an impact on price.
They just need to stick a battery in one of these, job done! No need to thank me Model3 design team 🙂
We know it’s supposed to be 20% smaller, made of steel (not aluminum), and have an improved battery. Beyond that, yeah, I’m very curious, and I think it’ll come down (a bit) to how much battery tech has improved. “How far over our $35,000 target are we now?… What else can we cut?”
Profit margin.
Tesla is making a very sweet gross profit margin on its ModS. They can make less per unit with the Mod3 and make up the difference in volume.
If one accepts the supposition that Tesla’s goal is to revolutionize the car industry rather than to make its owners enormously rich, then what Tesla needs to do is to generate enough profits each year to fund future expansion.
The ModS seems to have financed development of the Mod3 and will probably cover the cost of setting up the manufacturing line.
The Mod3 profits should finance the development and setup for the Mod”VWBug” – the long range EV that any new car buyer can afford.
Then, after that, the owners of Tesla stock can become enormously rich…. ;o)
Stop being silly. Aston’s are so much a class act way above Tesla. To even think that they could come close to Aston’s style and elegance is quite frankly laughable.
Style? With that front end?
Looks like someone is driving their screen door down the street.
No, no it’s a kitchen tool. Better not run into a pedestrian or bicyclist, you’ll slice and dice em. Apparently called a mezzaluna.
Close, but I think this might be closer.
What’s a huge grill doing on an EV? Do they care nothing for aerodynamics?
Are they also going to release a FCEV version that needs to scoop up massive amounts of air to feed and cool the fuel cell?
It’s an existing car. And the grill is part of the design and identity. Tesla started from scratch so could choose to have the most aerodynamic front whilst still having to get air around their heart exchanges somehow. I think its one of the worst visual aspects of their design. It looks plasticity. The wire mesh grill design of early radiator grills, like spoke wheels, can be the most attractive features of cars. Cars have inevitably lost character through aerodynamic needs, but some cars designs still retain a radiator grill to give the car character. Beautiful cars such as Jaguar and …. Aston
An existing car. I hadn’t picked on that.
That said, I suspect “beautiful grills” will go the way of “attractive mounting steps” for horse drawn buggies.
Bond. James Bond. Coolest electric ever coming … 😉
😀
Ludicrous IS stupid. But it’s also brilliant, because: it demonstrates the capability of electric drive; it markets a great car; it makes the growly, shouty, pollutey, endless schoolboy chasing of an extra 0.1s-to-60 look like the stupidity it is. But that’s the point… it IS stupid.
Now look at Aston Martin. Yes, they play the power game. But not like the others. Their cars are works of art. Their is a beauty unachieved by any other manufacturer. The Tesla is elegant and reasonably tasteful, but if you think it had beauty to match Aston you’re probably American and in need of a few years in Europe.
It’s fantastic to see Aston committing to EV WITHOUT playing the ludicrous Ludicrous game.
Now, imaging if Tesla hadn’t done Ludicrous. Would the sandle-wearing pious be saying any Ludicrous mode of a traditional sports car be brilliant? Of course not. It’s stupid.
How’d you know I wear sandals? 😀
I agree that Aston Martins are some of the most beautiful cars around. I think few would disagree. Honestly, though, when I have seen them from time to time, I have been struck by how much they remind me of a Model S (or vv). A good sign for Tesla.
And yeah, overall, this is great news… as long as Aston Martin delivers.