Danger, Danger, High Voltage

aston-martin-rapide1James Bond may now have to recharge his car before every mission, as Aston Martin have just announced that they have officially approved the creation of an all-electric Rapide. (We assume the recharging would actually be done by Q branch, as we’ve never seen Bond at a petrol station….)

The announcement was made to Automotive News at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance last month, where Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer confirmed that the electric Rapide was on the cards. Moreover, it will have a whopping 800 horsepower, all-wheel drive and a 200-mile range.

As well as the horsepower, it’ll also come with a typical Aston Martin price tag. Priced between £130,000 and £163,000, it’s certainly costlier than the Tesla Model S, although according to the interview with Automotive News, Palmer doesn’t anticipate that being a problem. “What Tesla clearly shows you is we haven’t hit the ceiling in terms of price. But I think it’s hard, though not impossible, for them as a relatively new brand to keep pushing up and to go into that super premier area” he said.

Aside from the engineering challenge, Aston Martin have entered the electric arena for a very practical reason: emissions restrictions. “If you want to keep making V12 engines, then you’ve got to do something at the opposite end of the spectrum,” said Palmer.  Whatever the reason, however, an all-electric Rapide ia certainly an interesting prospect, and we look forward to seeing the finished product.

aston-martin-rapide5It’s interesting that Aston Martin chose to spill the beans on an electric Rapide at this event, as the Pebble Beach Automotive Week had already seen them unveil the stunningly mean-looking 2016 DB9 GT, as well as allow visitors the chance to view the 7 litre V12 Aston Martin Vulcan, the DBX, and the Lagonda Taraf which pays homage to the William Towns Lagonda of 1976. Phew.