007 (Craig) will drive an electric Rapide E model in new No Time To Die movie . Only 155 of the £250,000 vehicles have been built.
Previewed by various concepts, this Rapide E is the final version that will be delivered to customers later this year. It is significant both as the first Aston EV and the first model to leave the brand’s new ‘home of electrification’ facility in St Athan, Wales.
Powered by an 800-volt, 65kWh battery, Aston Martin estimates the Rapide E will be able to travel “over 200 miles” on a single charge. Twin motors mounted on the rear axle will generate 450kW (or over 600 horsepower) and can get the car up to a top speed of 155 miles per hour. That will happen fairly quickly, too — Aston Martin says the Rapide E will go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in under four seconds (which is a tick faster than the standard internal combustion Rapide S). When plugged into a high-speed charger, the car’s battery can be recharged at a rate of 310 miles per hour.
The interior has been overhauled, too, bringing the nine year-old Rapide’s design up to date with the rest of the range. The most significant upgrade is the 10in digital instrument display showing key information such as battery charge level, motor power levels, energy usage and regenerative braking. Aston also claims extensive use of carbon fibre throughout the cabin to help reduce weight.
Exterior, the Rapide E mostly resembles the combustion engine car it’s based on, save for some electric blue accents in the headlights and on the brake calipers. Under the hood is where things are most different. The battery system has been designed around the space where the combustion version’s V12 engine, gear box, and fuel tank normally go. This means the Rapide E doesn’t have a full floor of batteries like, say, a Tesla. While that cuts down on design and engineering costs, it ultimately limits the number of battery cells (and ultimate capacity) that an automaker can fit in the car. In the end, the Rapide E weighs 4,717 pounds, which is about 400 pounds more than the internal combustion Rapide
Aston Martin has also paid careful attention to the Rapide E’s chassis tuning, bringing in revised spring and damper rates and a new limited-slip differential to handle the torque. Three driving modes also feature, while Aston claims the handling characteristics of the Rapide AMR have been retained.
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