Saar: It will become the first-ever pure electric model from Aston Martin and its production will be limited to just 155 units.

It was in June last year when Aston Martin officially confirmed that it will make a pure electric vehicle called the RapidE. The company also confirmed that it will be built on the skeleton of the Rapide S and that its production will be limited to just 155. This news came in two years after the concept vehicle was unveiled to the world. All-in-all, Aston Martin is taking its time to get the recipe of its first-ever electric vehicle (EV) just right.

The British luxury sports carmaker has now revealed a lot more about the EV in question. First of all, it has been through a name change procedure. Instead of RapidE, the EV will actually be called Rapide E. Nothing to write home about but the new name does keep in line with the Rapide range of cars. Aston Martin has also revealed that although the Rapide E will be built in limited numbers, its development phase is probably more hardcore than any of its previous models. Reason? The Rapide E will probably become the cornerstone for Aston Martin’s all future EV models and hence needs extra attention.

Let’s move to the numbers game. The Aston Martin Rapide E will have an 800V battery electrical architecture with a storage capacity of 65kWh. The battery pack is mounted where the 6.0-litre V12, its gearbox and the fuel tank are located in the Rapide S. The battery will power two electric motors, one each for the rear wheels. The total power output is rated at just over 610PS/950Nm. Aston Martin says that it is targeting a total range of over 320km under the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP).

As far as charging the on-board battery pack is concerned, the Rapide E will be capable of charging at a rate of 298km of range per hour using a 400V, 50kW charger. However, the EV’s 800V electrical architecture enables even faster-charging rates of 499km of range per hour using an 800V, 100kW charger. Now putting the charging rates in that absurd language is just super confusing. Let’s put it this way – in the first scenario, the Rapide E will gain all its juices in just over an hour’s time. However, if the faster charging system is available, the car be charged from zero to 100 per cent in less than 40 minutes. We’ve arrived at these timelines by taking the maximum range of 320km on a single charge.

Aston Martin has said that it, along with its partners, especially focused on achieving effective cooling of the batteries and the motors to ensure undiluted performance. To keep the weight in check, the Rapide E will also have a vast array of lightweight materials in its recipe. The aerodynamics of the car’s exterior and underbody have been optimized to reduce the coefficient of drag. Even the wheels, which are wrapped with Pirelli P-Zero low rolling-resistance tyres featuring noise-cancelling foam, have been designed to help the car become as slippery as possible at high speeds.

Speaking of which, Aston Martin claims that the Rapide E’s top speed will be 250kmph, with a sub-4.0-second 0-100kmph time. To keep the spirit of Aston Martin alive, twin electric motors will drive through a limited-slip differential, with revised spring and damper rates. The company also claims that Rapide E has been designed to deliver the abovementioned performance throughout the majority of its battery state of charge window.

Aston Martin will build the Rapide E at its upcoming plant in St. Athan, Wales. That’s where the company will also its Lagonda range of pure electric models in a couple of years. The first set of customers will get the delivery of their Aston Martin Rapide E in the last quarter of next year. The company hasn’t announced the pricing yet. Although, if you are interested, drop a message and it will let you know what kind of price tag will the Rapide E wear.