Rumors about Aston Martin planning to develop an all-electric sedan based on the Rapide S have been around the Interwebz for a few months now, but the Brits have yet to confirm that a production model is indeed underway. That changed today, when Aston Martin showcased the RapidE concept in London.
The electric sedan was unveiled outside Lancaster House, the venue for a meeting between Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and President of The People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping. Though it may seem awkward, the unveiling was carefully planned, as the RapidE project is financially back by ChinaEquity, an investor in Invest Industrial — one of Aston Martin’s owners. The Shanghai-based company is believed to be pouring up to £50 million in the RapidE, which will be aimed primarily at the Chinese market.
“We see luxury electric vehicles as an intrinsic part of our future product portfolio and welcome ChinaEquity into the next phase of study for the project development, said Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer. “The exciting RapidE concept tangibly demonstrates the capability and ambition of Aston Martin towards developing low- and zero-emission sports cars.”
During the Lancaster House event, Aston Martin and ChinaEquity announced an agreement to explore the development of a production version of the RapidE concept, which could arrive in dealerships sometime in 2017.
Continue reading to learn more about the Aston Martin RapidE Concept.
https://www.topspeed.com/cars/aston-martin/2016-aston-martin-rapide-concept-ar171531.html