The long-awaited Aston Martin Rapide E has just been
unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show. The British car manufacturer has
been developing the vehicle for a number of years and the finished product
adopts a design which separates it from traditionally-powered Rapide models.
The Rapide E will also be Aston Martin’s first car built at its new St Athan
production facility.
Aston Martin worked with Williams Advanced
Engineering to create the model. Underpinning the vehicle is an 800V electric
architecture and a 65 kWh battery encased in carbon fiber and Kevlar and
complete with over 5600 ltihium-ion 18650 format cylindrical cells. This
battery pack is found where the 6.0-liter V12 of the Rapide usually resides and
sends power to a pair of electric motors driving the rear axle with 601 hp and 950 Nm of torque.
The Aston Martin Rapide E has a range exceeding 320 km under the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure
(WLTP) and is capable of charging at a rate of 185 miles of range per hour
through a common 400V 50kW charger. However, the Rapide E also offers fast
charging for a range of 310 miles per hour. The vehicle itself also
incorporates a high power AC on-board charger which can top up the battery in
just 3 hours. In terms of performance, Aston Martin quotes a 0-96 km/h time of less than 4 seconds and a 50-70 mph time of 1.5 seconds. The Rapide E
will hit a 250 km/h top speed.
Those thinking about purchasing Aston Martin’s first
all-electric production vehicle will be pleased to hear that the carmaker spent
a considerable amount of time tuning the vehicle’s chassis with GT, Sport, and
Sport+ driving modes available. There is also a limited-slip differential at
the rear as well as revised spring and damper rates which should ensure the
Rapide E handles just as well as the Rapide AMR.
Visually, the all-electric sedan features a
re-designed underfloor which funnels engine from the front splitter through to
the enlarged rear diffuser. Forged aluminum wheels have also been developed for
the model and come wrapped in special Pirelli P-Zero tires.
Production of the Aston Martin Rapide E will be
capped at 155 units worldwide.
