All-electric Aston Martin Rapide E revealed

Aston Martin's first-ever electric vehicle lands at the 2019 Shanghai Motor Show. Dubbed the Rapide E, this brand new all-electric Aston comes powered by an 800V 65kWh battery pack that churns out 601bhp and 950Nm. Only 155 units will be produced. 

Meet Aston Martin’s first ever production-ready electric vehicle – the Rapide E. It made its world debut at the 2019 Shanghai Motor Show and will soon go on sale across the world. Production will be limited to only 155 units.

As the name suggests, the Rapide E is based on the standard Rapide. But, instead of the gas-guzzling 6.0-litre V12, this one is a lot friendlier to the environment, since the drivetrain is all-electric – obviously. The battery pack here is made up of over 5,600 lithium-ion cells and is rated at 65kWh, while the electric architecture of the car is an 800V system. Aston says that it’s been designed in collaboration with William Advanced Engineering.

Coming to the performance, the Rapide E has a rated power output of 601bhp and 950Nm of torque is produced instantly at the press of the right pedal. The drive goes strictly to the rear axle – which houses two electric motors – via a limited-slip differential. 0-100km/h is dismissed in 4 seconds, and 80-110km/h will be done in 1.5 seconds! Now that’s quite, erm, rapid by any standard. That said, the top is only 250km/h, as compared to V12's 303km/h. 

Aston claims the Rapide E will have a range of around 320km on a full charge on the WLTP cycle. And to charge the battery pack, a 50Kw charger will recharge the batteries at the rate of 298km per hour, while a 100kW charger will deliver it at nearly 500km each hour.

The interior has been revamped to suit the car’s green credentials. The analogue dials of the V12 Rapide are replaced by a 10-inch all-digital instrument cluster. Three driving modes – GT, Sport, and Sport+ – are available to alter the Rapide E’s dynamic characteristics. And, of course, the spring and damper rates of the suspension have been revised because of the introduction of the battery pack. On the outside, too, there are few upgrades – there’s a new honeycomb grille, a redesigned underfloor that ‘streamlines airflow from the front splitter’ to a new larger rear diffuser, and there are forged aluminium wheels, which come shod with Pirelli P-Zero tyres. On the whole, all these modifications improve the aerodynamic efficiency by 8 per cent over the V12 Rapide.

Aston Martin hasn’t put a price-tag on the Rapide E as yet, but we can assure you that it’s going to cost you a fortune and then some to own Aston’s first-ever electric vehicle. 

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