Aston Martin to Co-Develop EVs With Chinese Company LeEco

Aston Martin and LeEco (formerly Letv) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a partnership that will see the development of the production version of an all-electric concept based on the Rapide S sedan, dubbed the RapidE. The partnership will see both companies work together in the development and manufacturing of the RapidE and potentially a range of electric vehicles for other vehicle manufacturers including Faraday Future.

The LeEco and Aston Martin partnership will work to develop low-emission vehicle technologies. The Aston Martin RapidE is the first model to be developed by LeEco and Aston Martin and shows how an existing model can be converted into an all-electric vehicle. Aston Martin is also working to make production of the RapidE feasible by finding the right battery and powertrain solution for the car, and is working with LeEco to get the car on the market by 2018.

 

“Aston Martin are dedicated to developing a range of cars with low emission technologies. We have been encouraged by the project speed and technical depth shown by Letv in the development of the RapidE concept towards full production. Bringing the RapidE to market by 2018 is an important milestone for both companies,” said Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer, in a release.

At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Aston Martin showed off a Rapide S outfitted with streaming media technology from Letv. Last year, we reported that Aston Martin was contemplating building an all-electric version of the Rapide sedan. Dr. Andy Palmer, CEO of Aston Martin, said that the all-electric Rapide will help keep Aston Martin’s V-12-powered sports cars in production while meeting stricter fuel efficiency standards. The all-electric venture is also an opportunity for the brand to form partnerships with leading EV technology companies. In addition to an all-electric Rapide, Aston Martin will also build a production version of the DBX concept that originally debuted at the 2015 Geneva auto show last year.

Source: Aston Martin

 

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