Aston Martin’s Home of Electrification, which is a brand-new facility located at St Athan in Wales, is ready to get into life. And the first vehicle that it will produce is a rather special one. Meet the Aston Martin Rapide E – the first-ever pure electric vehicle (EV) from James Bond’s favourite carmaker. It debuted at this year’s Shanghai Auto Show and it officially marks the beginning of a new chapter in Aston Martin’s automobile biography.

First things first – it is both gorgeous and silent. However, it won’t be available to everyone. Only 155 examples will ever exist. Compared to the conventional Rapide, the all-electric version features some subtle design changes inside and out. However, Aston Martin’s engineers have made some aerodynamic changes which cater to the overall range and efficiency of the saloon. For instance, a re-designed underfloor smoothens airflow from the front splitter to the rear diffuser. Other changes include aerodynamically optimised wheels which are wrapped around by low rolling-resistance Pirelli P-Zero tyres.

The powertrain has an 800V electrical architecture which connects a 65kWh battery to two rear-mounted electric motors. Aston Martin claims that the total system output is just over 610PS/950Nm, which is plenty for a sub-4.0 second 0-100kmph time and a top speed of 250kmph. As far as the range on a fully-charged battery pack is concerned, it is over 320km under WLTP cycle. Through a 400V, 50kW charger, the lithium-ion battery can gain nearly 300km of range in an hour. However, a faster 800V, 100kW charger would juice-up the batteries at the rate of approximately 500km per hour. If the onboard AC charger is used, the battery can be charged in about 3 hours.

The Aston Martin Rapide E’s rear-wheel-drive setup also includes a limited-slip differential and revised spring and damper rates. Drivers will have three driving modes, GT, Sport and Sport +, each of which is selected for the powertrain and the handling. These inclusions should make the Rapide E just as engaging to drive as the Rapide AMR but just not as loud.

There’s no price tag available for regular folks like us. However, if you do want one, you can submit your interest and then the company will reveal the price. Aston Martin’s Home of Electrification will also become home for the Lagonda range of electric cars and the first of the lot will enter production in 2021.