The iconic British brand Aston Martin sealed an agreement last week with the American electric vehicle manufacturer Lucid to power its future electric models.
Worth US$450 million (approximately C$596 million), the engine contract is the first won by Lucid, a brand headed by former Tesla Model S chief engineer Peter Rawlinson. It is specified that the manufacturer will provide all the components of the powertrain, in addition to the battery.
Establishing itself as an important player in the electric landscape since the production of its Air sedan in 2021, Lucid is knowledgeable in the field of high-performance electric applications. Thanks to its three engines, the Sapphire version of the Air has 1200 hp, ensuring a 0-100 km/h around 2 s and a top speed of 322 km/h.
Aston Martin will, however, be entitled to a twin-motor layout bolted to its new in-house developed modular electric platform. Aston Martin’s first electric model will use this technology from 2025.
Meanwhile, Aston Martin says it will negotiate its electric shift gradually with the 2024 launch of its first plug-in hybrid model, a mid-rear-engine supercar, the Valhalla. This will be followed in parallel by the proposal of hybrid powertrains in all of the manufacturer’s models by 2026. Aston Martin is targeting the electrification of the “core of its range” by 2030, a plan supported by investments of 2 billion pounds (about C$3 billion). This logically leaves room for a few models with low-diffusion heat engines.
Mercedes-Benz will also act in parallel as a motor supplier on Aston Martin’s thermal and electric motor shutters. With such partners, the big Canadian boss Lawrence Stroll seems to have struck a big blow to secure the future of a brand that was in decline not so long ago.
