MOTORING NEWS - Aston Martin has been exploring the concept of an electric Rapide for some time, but the engineers in Gaydon in the UK have never followed through with a production version. Now the company has unveiled plans to offer 155 all-electric Rapide coupés in 2019.
The RapidE will be developed with the team at Williams Advanced Engineering and has many similarities with the upcoming Rapide AMR. Aston Martin is promising the car will feel like the V12 model on cornering and won't have its sensuous lines ruined by the swap from internal combustion to battery power.
The driving experience will be very different in the RapidE.
The characteristic roar of a V12 will be absent in the all-electric model, but on the other hand there will be access to huge reserves of torque from standstill.
Beyond the fact it'll be a pure EV, Aston Martin is not yet revealing much about the performance of its first electric car. Around the launch of the initial RapidE concept, CEO Andy Palmer told Autocar a production model could be available in rear-drive and all-wheel drive trim.
Power output is expected to range from a handy 410kW to 597kW - rather a lot, really!
The 322km range also mentioned in the Autocar article is significantly less than what Tesla is offering in the Model S. Aston Martin says it will be releasing more information about range and power in the lead up to the car's launch in 2019.
"Having unveiled the RapidE Concept back in October 2015, we reach another milestone with the confirmation that we are now putting the first all-electric Aston Martin into production," the manufacturer stated in a press release.
"The internal combustion engine has been at the heart of Aston Martin for more than a century and will continue to be for years to come. RapidE will showcase Aston Martin's vision, desire and capability to successfully embrace radical change, delivering a new breed of car that stays true to our ethos and delights our customers."
Source: Aston Martin
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