British luxury automaker Aston Martin is entering the EV landscape with help from long-term partner Mercedes-Benz and a new supply agreement with American EV startup Lucid. The brand will invest £2 billion over five years to realize Aston Martin’s “Racing. Green.” electrification strategy and launch a new lineup of electrified sports cars, hypercars, grand touring cars, and sporty SUVs starting in 2025. Aston Martin’s first plug-in hybrid vehicle, the Valhalla, will debut in 2024 and kickstart the brand’s transition from internal combustion to fully electric by 2030.
Aston Martin Platform, Lucid Power
Aston Martin has developed an all-new, modular BEV platform to underpin its future electric cars. The Lucid partnership gives Aston Martin unprecedented access to the former’s current and future battery and powertrain technology. “The supply agreement with Lucid is a game changer for the future EV growth of Aston Martin,” said Lawrence Stroll, Aston Martin Executive Chairman.
Lucid manufactures the Air sedan, a roomy and luxurious EV that boasts incredible power and extended driving ranges. The base Lucid Air Pure has a single rear-mounted electric motor and an 88 kWh battery, offering 480 horsepower and an EPA-estimated 410 miles of range. Meanwhile, the Air Touring has two electric motors and the same battery pack to deliver 425 miles of range.
Performance-wise, the Lucid Air Grand Touring and Grand Touring Performance have 800 to 1,020 horsepower from dual electric motors and a 112 kWh battery, good for 516 and 446 miles of range, respectively. “The proposed agreement with Lucid forms a significant pillar of our electrification strategy,” said Roberto Fedeli, Chief Technology Officer at Aston Martin. “Combined with our internal development, this will allow us to create a single bespoke BEV platform suitable for all future Aston Martin products, from hypercars to sports cars and SUVs,”
Mercedes-Benz, Brembo & Pirelli
In addition to inking a supply agreement with Lucid, Aston Martin has renewed its long-term partnership with German automaker Mercedes-Benz. According to the announcement, Mercedes-Benz will continue to provide Aston Martin with access to a range of technologies, including powertrains and electronic architectures.
Moreover, Brembo is developing a new brake-by-wire system for future Aston Martin EVs, while Italian tire giant Pirelli is working with Aston Martin to develop the next-generation P Zero R tire fitted with the Pirelli Cyber Tire, a system consisting of sensors to monitor road conditions and calculate real-world range numbers.
