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Aston Martin's first EV, the Rapide E, will be an all-electric rocket-ship with a near-tonne of torque and a sprint to 100km/h of under four seconds.
That's the good word out of Aston Martin HQ today, with the British marque at last confirming the performance numbers for its first all-electric offering. The Rapide E remains something of a toe-in-the-water exercise for Aston, with just 155 examples to be built, but the power outputs suggest they're taking it very seriously indeed.
Powered by an 65kWh, 80OV battery-electric architecture, comprised of more than 5600 lithium-ion cells, the Rapide E's two motors - both housed at the rear axle - will produce a whopping 449kW and 950Nm.
That's enough, Aston says, for a sub-4.0sec sprint to 96.5km/h (60mph), and it will climb from 80km/h to 110km/h in 1.5 seconds. The brand's engineers claim that is truly repeatable performance, too, no matter how much charge is left in the batteries. In fact, Aston says the battery set-up, developed with Williams Advanced Engineering, ensures the Rapide E can lap the Nurburgring without any loss of performance.
The Rapide E should also produce a range of around 320km, and it will of course be suitable for high-voltage supercharging.
“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," says Aston Martin CEO, Andy Palmer.
"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."
Outside, expect an interior shaped to be as slippery as possible, including aerodynamic alloys wrapped in Pirelli P Zero rubber. Under the skin, Aston makes a point of saying it's aiming to reproduce the angry character of the more conventional Rapide S - only this time without the giant V12 engine - and so the limited-slip differential continues, along with new spring and damper rates designed for the electric powertrain.
Expect to see the Rapide E in late 2019, with pricing yet to be confirmed. Or even hinted at. But if you have to ask...
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