Aston Martin Could Build a Tesla Roadster Competitor

Aston Martin isn’t ruling out the idea of a pure-electric sports car designed to take on the upcoming Tesla Roadster.

The British automaker is investing into electrification and previously confirmed it will sell 155 units of its pure-electric RapidE next year. Aston Martin has also committed to adding at least a mild-hybrid variant of every model by 2025, but don’t expect to see any plug-in hybrids anytime soon. “We won’t offer plug-in hybrids,” said CEO Andy Palmer. “I don’t see the point.”

But the big news coming from the interview with Auto Express is that Aston Martin could launch a lightweight, electric sports car in the future. When asked about the idea, Palmer gave an optimistic answer: “It’s possible, yes. 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. 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.” Palmer then added, “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.”

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The idea behind a pure-electric Aston Martin roadster isn’t far-fetched. The automaker could use the aluminum-heavy platform currently underpinning the DB11 and Vantage. Currently, Aston Martin is making it electric-ready, which would help cut costs in developing a pure-electric sports car on the platform. Unfortunately, it’s not a model arriving in the near future, since Aston Martin already has plenty of work to do with the promise of delivering a new model every 12 months until 2022.

The interview went on to reveal the company has no plans of ever using an engine smaller than a six-cylinder unit. As for its electric vehicles, they will be offered with a range of battery sizes, similar to other offerings in today’s market. But for Aston Martin buyers, it wouldn’t necessarily be all about extra range, but rather the added weight of additional batteries.

[Source: Auto Express]

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