The upcoming all-electric Aston Martin RapidE may seem like a direct rival to the Tesla Model S but according to boss Andy Palmer, the RapidE won’t target Tesla buyers.
During an interview with Autocar, Palmer said customers of the RapidE won’t be interested in the mind-boggling straight-line performance of the Model S and instead place a greater emphasis on luxury.
“Most of the people who buy a Model S are buying it fully loaded. They’re not limited by their cash; they’re limited by the offer.
“We’re looking to those guys looking for something above Tesla. That customer probably isn’t looking for 'Ludicrous mode'. Our offer will have very credible acceleration – equal to a petrol Aston Martin – but you’ll be able to drive the car rapidly all the way around the Nürburgring without it derating or conking out on you,” Palmer said.
The British automaker has been developing and testing the all-electric RapidE for quite some time now and will limit production to just 155 units. Rather than chasing huge sales figures, the car is a short-term answer to demand for an electric Aston Martin and in the future, could be superseded by an EV developed from the ground up.
According to Aston Martin, the RapidE will be based on the performance-oriented Rapide AMR and therefore receive a more aggressive design than a typical Rapide. The car is being co-developed with Williams Advanced Engineering and is set to launch in 2019.
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