British luxury automaker Aston Martin is speeding toward its goal of offering hybrid or electric cars and SUVs to meet the shift away from combustion engines.
The race is on to bring luxury EVs to market. Bentley is well on its way; Mercedes-Benz’s first S-class EV hit the market this year. And James Bond’s car of choice—the UK’s own Aston Martin—says it is on track to meet its goal of offering a fully electric or hybrid option for all of its cars by 2024.
According to Aston Martin’s executive chairman Lawrence Stroll—he’s the Canadian billionaire who led the car company’s bailout last year—the luxury automaker is on track to release an electric sports car and an electric SUV to launch in 2025.
Like its competitors, the company is making the shift away from combustion engines.
Electrified powertrains
“Our ambition is that by 2024 every one of our cars will have an available electrified powertrain, either hybridized or a fully electric option,” U.S. Aston spokesman Nathan Hoyt told Penta. “Our ultimate goal is that by 2030, more than 90% of our portfolio is a battery electric vehicle with an electrified powertrain.”
For Aston Martin, that’s a bit of a step-up progression. There’s the Valkyrie full-hybrid hypercar, which is due in September, the DBX hybrid SUV this year, a plug-in hybrid in 2023. Its first fully-electric car will replace its front-engine sports car range in 2025, according to CEO Tobias Moers.
Aston Martin x Mercedes-Benz
These rollouts are being made possible through a strategic partnership with Mercedes-Benz. “Our future product plans are underpinned by the landmark strategic cooperation agreement signed with Mercedes-Benz AG, giving access to customizable and world-class technology, including hybrid and electrified powertrains,” Moers said on a recent earnings call. “This enables us to focus our development time and investment on the areas that will truly differentiate our products.”
For Moers, the succession of the company’s traditional sports segment has to be electric, “no doubt,” he said.
These cars won’t be Mercedes’ in disguise, though.
“We’re committed to delivering our own uniquely compelling Aston Martin products, differentiated through our expertise in body structures, chassis and dynamic systems,” U.S. Aston spokesman Nathan Hoyt said. “After all, that’s what happened when we introduced the DBX. It has Mercedes elements but is very much an Aston Martin through and through—with our own chassis/architecture, powertrain tune, and more.”
Aston Martin has said that 50 percent of its lineup will be all-electric by 2030. And the plug-in hybrid DBX is set to happen before 2024, Moers said.
“Electric drive is part of our journey and our product plan for the future.”
