Rapide E: Secrets of First All-Electric Aston Martin Revealed

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MILLBROOK, England, Sept. 12, 2018/PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/--

--Rapide E to be Aston Martin's first Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV)

--Product name confirmed as 'Rapide E'

--Aston Martin developing Rapide E with Williams Advanced Engineering

--Production run of 155 units

--Twin electric motors to produce over 610PS and 950Nm of torque creating most

powerful Rapide model

--Features innovative 800V battery system; DC/DC converter facilitates fast

charging, even on 400V network

--Cars will be built in dedicated facility at Aston Martin's St. Athan site

--First customer deliveries scheduled for Q4 2019

With development of Aston Martin's first all-electric production car--the

Rapide E--progressing apace, the luxury British marque has today confirmed a

raft of technical details for the strictly limited 155-unit special edition.

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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.

Throughout the development process, the engineering team have focused on

achieving effective cooling of the batteries and motor to ensure consistent

performance, while strict weight targets have been stringently observed using

lightweight alloys and carbon composite materials.

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.

Rapide E's range target is over 200 miles under the Worldwide Harmonised Light

Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP), while the model is capable of charging at a rate

of 185[1,2]  miles of range per hour using a typical 400V 50kW charger.

However, 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. It's important to stress that

these figures are not restricted to a narrow window only when the batteries are

fully-charged. Instead the target is for maximum performance on-demand

throughout majority of the battery state of charge window, as would be expected

from a conventional internal combustion-engined car. This includes the ability

to drive a full lap of the Nurburgring with absolutely no derating of the

battery and the ability to cope with the daily demands of repeated hard

acceleration and braking.

The car's exterior and underbody has also been aerodynamically optimised and

complemented 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.

It has also been an objective of the project to retain and enhance the feel,

character and delivery of the V12-engined Rapide S. To this end, careful

attention will be paid to the development and tuning of both the electric

powertrain and the chassis, with particular focus applied to software

integration. The rear-wheel drive Rapide E's twin electric motors will drive

through a Limited-Slip Differential, which combined with revised spring and

damper rates ensures the pure handling characteristics for which the

petrol-powered Rapide S is already renowned.

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 enjoys the support of 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.  

Speaking of the Rapide E programme, Andy Palmer, CEO Aston Martin, commented,

"Environmental responsibility and sustainability is a global challenge faced by

us all. As a career automotive engineer, I'm proud that the car industry is

leading the way in finding long-term solutions and reducing harmful emissions.

As Aston Martin's CEO, I take particular satisfaction working with Williams

Advanced Engineering and our other associated technology partners to bring

Rapide E to reality. 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."

Rapide E will be built at the upcoming St. Athan production facility, announced

as the future 'Home of Electrification' for both the Aston Martin and Lagonda

brands. Aston Martin is accepting expressions of interest via its global

dealership network, with pricing available on application.

Customer deliveries are set for Q4 2019.

[1] Predicted figure

[2] WLTP figure

About Aston Martin Lagonda:

Aston Martin Lagonda is a luxury automotive group focused on the creation of

exclusive cars and SUVs.  The iconic Aston Martin brand fuses the latest

technology, exceptional hand craftsmanship and timeless design to produce

models including the DB11, Rapide S, DBS Superleggera, Vantage and Vanquish

Zagato.  The Lagonda brand will relaunch in 2021 as the world's first luxury

electric vehicle company. Based in Gaydon, England, Aston Martin Lagonda

designs, creates and exports cars which are sold in 53 countries around the

world.

Lagonda was founded in 1904 and Aston Martin in 1913. The two brands came

together in 1947 when both were purchased by the late Sir David Brown. Under

the leadership of Dr. Andy Palmer and a new management team, the Group launched

its Second Century Plan in 2015 to deliver sustainable long-term growth. The

plan is underpinned by the introduction of seven new models including the DB11,

new Vantage, DBS Superleggera and an SUV, as well as the development of a new

manufacturing centre in St Athan, Wales.

In 2017, Aston Martin generated full-year EBITDA of GBP230.8m on revenues of

GBP876m. The Company, employing more than 2,700 people, is predominantly owned

by private equity groups Adeem, Tejara and Investindustrial, while Daimler AG

of Germany holds a 4.9% non-voting stake.

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Asia Pacific

Andreas Rosen

Marketing and Communications Manager

Mobile: +65-6908-0825

Email: Andreas.Rosen@astonmartin.com

Pei Leng Tan

Marcoms Executive - South East Asia

Mobile: +65-9726-7986

E-Mail: peileng.tan@astonmartin.com

https://media.astonmartin.com/contacts/  

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SOURCE  Aston Martin