Iconic British car maker Aston Martin has revealed it will launch its first electric car in 2025 - but has admitted that it has a suite of potential partners to work with on the project.
Announcing £653 million of investment, executive chairman Lawrence Stroll revealed that the firm would now have both Mercedes-Benz and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), which also has holdings in McLaren and Lucid Motors, as shareholders, potentially opening the door for the firm to work with any of the car makers on the project.
But - intriguingly - Stroll also admitted that a “halo” car was part of the firm’s discussions as it formulates its electric car strategy by the end of this year. So far it has only committed to launching its first electric car in 2025 and offering its full mainstream product portfolio with electric powertrains by 2030.
“We’re literally defining now the products we want to launch with, and expect to have an answer early next year,” said Stroll, after also naming Rimac as a potential partner. The firm is already selling its 1427kW Nevera hypercar, which is capable of 0-60mph in 1.85 seconds, and is well-known for working with manufacturers on low volume projects.
However, insiders suggest that the first mainstream EV is likely to be based on the DBX SUV, utilising more mainstream technology. As such, it would follow the likes of Lotus and Lamborghini in building up its electric portfolio around a more family-orientated car, allowing time for battery and motor technology to advance before taking it into mainstream sports cars.
Stroll also highlighted that Aston plans to continue to build up electrification competency within the firm, adding: “Electrification isn’t just about batteries or motors; there’s so much more to it, and as our development investment transitions to electrification then we plan to build up our own capabilities too.”
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