James Bond Could Soon Be Driving An Electric Aston Martin

Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer dropped hints earlier in the year that the company was investigating the possibility of an electric version of the Rapide sports sedan.

Aston Martin Rapide EV would be followed by DBX EV but the crossover would first go on sale as a plug-in hybrid model. Palmer says Aston needs to offset the brand’s thirsty gas-powered sedans, like those with 12-cylinder engines.

Palmer highlighted that building zero-emission cars will balance out the V8s and V12s in the scheme of things. The price will be almost double of what Tesla Motors charges for it top line Model S, but will come with a higher level of luxury. Then, in acknowledgment of legislative and environmental pressures, the luxury marque took the unusual step of re-trimming a prosaic Toyota/Scion iQ mini car, calling it the Aston Martin Cygnet overseas. Specifically he mentions 800hp, all-wheel drive and a 200-mile range.

“We don’t do Ludicrous because Ludicrous speed is stupid”, Palmer said, referring to the new performance mode that allows the Model S to reach 60 MPH from a standstill in 2.8 seconds.

As for pricing, Palmer indicated the the vehicle would be priced somewhere between $200,000 to $250,000, placing it well above even the most expensive P85D. Production will apparently be in the hundreds, annually, with a price tag similar to that of the regular Rapide (Rapide S currently retails from AU$378,500). The DBX crossover seen at Geneva is surely one of its kind and no matter where it’s built, it will surely be a game changer for Aston Martin.

Palmer said the Rapide will use batteries from an “established supplier” such as LG Chem or Samsung, but not Panasonic, which is Tesla’s battery supplier and owner of a small stake in the American carmaker.