Why electric Aston Martins could really be exceptional

The English firm Aston Martin has found a powerful ally to develop its new range of electric cars. First results expected from 2025, thanks to the partnership with Lucid Motors which should make it possible to produce very interesting electric cars.

Since the electric Rapide project, which ultimately never came to fruition, Aston Martin has made no further attempts on the electric front. If the situation is not dramatic at the moment, the English manufacturer must react quickly to ensure its sustainability and plan to ban new thermal cars in 2035. With this in mind, it has just entered into a partnership with the American brand Lucid Motors to whom we owe the excellent Lucid Air.

In exchange for a 3.7% stake, Lucid Motors will make available to Aston Martin its know-how in motors and batteries for electric vehicles. The new platform will, however, be developed by the British manufacturer itself. It will serve as the basis for a whole range of models. Without giving specific details on the product plan, Aston Martin evokes pell-mell SUVs, GTs, sports cars and even hypercars. The brand also publishes the sketch below, which unfortunately does not give many clues.

A first electric Aston Martin by 2025

The first electric Aston Martin is due to be launched in 2025. By then, the British firm will normally have launched production of its first plug-in hybrid model, the Valhalla. The kick-off of deliveries must indeed be given in 2024. From 2030, the entire Aston Martin range will be electrified (hybrid or electric).

Based in California, Lucid is majority owned by the Saudi fund Public Investment Fund, which is also the second largest shareholder of Aston Martin. The manufacturer has been marketing the Lucid Air (which we were able to try) since 2021, a large sedan capable of competing with the Tesla Model S.

This model made a strong impression at its launch, with particularly high performance. During our test, we were able to see that it kept its promises. Depending on the version chosen, the combined range and power can peak at 883 km (on the WLTP combined cycle) and 1111 hp respectively. And recharging is also ultra-fast, thanks to its 800-volt architecture. It is for these reasons in particular that it is the fastest electric car on long journeys.

Lucid Motors therefore does not take half measures, and that is one of the reasons why the future electric Aston Martins should be exciting. The architecture with two motors (one on each axle) will offer multiple possibilities in terms of torque distribution between the wheels. This is also a parameter on which the manufacturer will play to give an identity to each of its models.

The agreement with Mercedes-Benz still valid

Given its isolated position, Aston Martin has no choice but to rely on partners to continue its journey. The arrival of Lucid Motors does not mark the end of the partnership with Mercedes-Benz, the British firm now has three allies to rely on, since it has also approached the Chinese Geely. Be careful though, it sometimes happens that partnerships between manufacturers come to an end. Alpine and Lotus showed it again recently, by choosing to end their collaboration somewhat abruptly.

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