Aston Martin delays first electric car to 2026 in favour of PHEVs
Aston Martin's EV will use battery cells and modules, as well as drive units, from Lucid
Marque cites low demand for EVs as it pushes back its first and confirms plans for a range of plug-in hybrids
Aston Martin has pushed back its first electric car from 2025 to 2026 due to low consumer demand.
The company was scheduled to launch a high-riding, four-wheel-drive electric GT car next year, but chairman Lawrence Stroll has told reporters that “consumer demand is now what we thought it was two years ago”, when the plans were first outlined.
He has confirmed that Aston Martin has designed four electric cars, but stopped short of confirming whether they are envisioned as direct replacements for the current line-up, comprising three front-engined sports cars and the DBX SUV.
"At this point, we're not willing to let the cat out of the bag regarding exactly what the BEVs are," he said, refusing to be drawn on which segments Aston plans to launch EVs in.
Confirming that the first will now arrive a year later than planned, Stroll said: "We believe that the consumer demand is not at the pace that analysts and politicians thought.
"We also do believe it will be there in the future - it's not going away. We just think there's a slight delay to the project."
As it transitions from pure-combustion to a pure-electric line-up, Aston Martin will use plug-in hybrid powertrains as a 'bridging' technology, to introduce its customers to EV drivetrains while leaning on the strengths of its existing combustion engine offering.
The brand's first PHEV is the mid-engined Valhalla supercar, launching in the final quarter of this year with an electrified V8 arrangement supplied by Mercedes-AMG.
"What we are feeling is that there are people who still want some electrification to drive around in the city for five, 10 or 15 miles on electric power, but still have the sports car smell, feel and noise when you get out onto the autoroute.
"That's why we think hybrid is going to have a very long life, particularly for a company like us: it's about delivering thrills and excitement to the driving experience."
For its pure-electric cars, Aston will use powertrains and batteries supplied by US firm Lucid, with which it inked a £182m supply deal last year.
The British firm's electric cars will use four motors – two on the front axle – for a combined output of up to 1500bhp, it has previously confirmed. They will be powered by Lucid cells and modules arranged into a battery pack of Aston's own design.
The architecture on which they will be based is being designed to last well into next decade, with the flexibility to accommodate both ground-hugging sports cars and higher-slung SUVs. The first is tipped to sit somewhere between the two, similar in footprint to the Porsche Taycan but with a loftier silhouette.