Skip to main content

Aston Martin evaluates an electric sports car as Tesla closes in on its turf

Introduced in 2006, the original Tesla Roadster enjoyed a near-monopoly on the electric sports car segment. The hotly anticipated second-generation model unveiled as a prototype late last year might not be as lucky. Aston Martin recently indicated it’s not going to let the California-based firm venture onto its turf without a fight.

“It’s possible, yes,” replied company CEO Andy Palmer when asked about whether he’s planning a Roadster rival. “There are various challenges involved in making an EV, and the one everyone focuses on is the battery — the management system and the chemistry involved,” he added during an interview with British magazine Auto Express.

Recommended Videos

Palmer believes Aston Martin could have an edge over Tesla, too. “The interesting thing is that the other three key components of any electric car – weight, aerodynamic drag, and rolling resistance – are areas sports car manufacturers, and us in particular, are really good at mastering. That puts us at an advantage over other brands who are making some big claims – such as Tesla, with a lightweight roadster. I think we could be in that space relatively easily,” he said. That’s fighting talk in the automotive industry.

Aston Martin is working on bringing its first battery-electric vehicle to the market. It will be based on the Rapide, its formidable V12-powered sedan, and it will be designed in-house after the joint-venture it formed with China-based LeEco fell apart. Pricing will start at about $250,000 and the firm will cap global production at 155 units, or a third of what it initially announced. It’s not unreasonable to speculate some of the RapidE’s tech could seep down into a future electric model built in greater numbers.

Unlike some of its rivals, notably Porsche, Aston Martin will skip the plug-in hybrid phase. “I don’t see the point. You have the complexity and costs of a regular engine, and the complexity and costs of a plug-in electrified system,” Palmer told Auto Express. The company will instead focus on standard hybrid drivetrains built around a 48-volt architecture.

It will be interesting to watch this nascent segment of the market develop in the next few years. Tesla tentatively scheduled the first Roadster deliveries for 2020, a time frame which gives Aston Martin time to plan its offensive. Maserati recently hinted it’s also considering a battery-powered sports car, though we haven’t heard much about it since 2016, and McLaren has started testing an electric powertrain for its breed of high-end cars.

Ronan Glon
Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…
Kia reinvents the van with its electric Platform Beyond Vehicles
Kia PV5 concept car.

Kia wants to build EVs that can be easily reconfigured for different uses, ranging from ordinary passenger cars to taxis and delivery vehicles. The automaker previewed this strategy, called the Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV), at CES 2024, showing the first potential vehicle designs.

All PBV derivatives will be based on a modular platform with a fixed cab, but all bodywork aft of the cab will be interchangeable, allowing the same vehicle to serve as a taxi during the day, a delivery van at night, and a personal car on weekends, Kia says. If this sounds familiar, it's because Kia first mentioned the PBV strategy in April 2023, but at that time, the acronym stood for "Purpose-Built Vehicle."

Read more
Cadillac aims to balance its lineup with a small electric SUV
Exterior of the Cadillac Optiq compact electric SUV.

Cadillac will add an entry-level electric SUV to its lineup in 2024.

The Cadillac Optiq is a "luxury compact SUV" slotting below the Lyriq in the brand's EV hierarchy. Photos released with the brief announcement show styling features that tie the Optiq to the larger Lyriq, such as split taillights, but other details won't be released until closer to the Optiq's launch.

Read more
The fastest electric cars, ranked by 0-60 mph acceleration
porsche taycan electric car acceleration test on aircraft carrier deck prototype

Electric vehicles benefit from instant torque, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're quick.

The more affordable electric cars, like the Chevrolet Bolt EV and Hyundai Kona Electric, are zippy around town, but nothing to brag about on a drag strip. However, higher-end models like the ones we're looking at here can keep up with some of the most powerful gasoline-burning sports cars in the world -- and in many cases beat them.

Read more