Aston Martin, the iconic British luxury car manufacturer, has announced that it will be partnering with US-based EV start-up Lucid to supply powertrain and battery components for its new family of electric vehicles. The partnership will begin with the launch of an electric SUV in late 2025, followed by a GT by the end of the decade. Aston Martin Chairman Lawrence Stroll said that the deal with Lucid had been more than two and a half years in the making and that the US firm had emerged as the outstanding partner for Aston’s EV aspirations after a competitive tender process.
Lucid’s components will feed into Aston’s own bespoke modular battery-electric car architecture, which is set to underpin a range of models starting with the new SUV. The structure of the $232 million deal sees Lucid take a 3.7% shareholding in Aston Martin, which has given £79m in equity to enable that shareholding. The balance will be paid in cash installments between now and 2026, and there is a further £177m to come from Aston to pay for the components as an effective minimum spend in what’s billed as a long-term supply deal.
Aston Martin’s electric cars will use four motors, with power outputs potentially up to 1500bhp. Lucid will also supply battery cells and modules, and Aston will then use them in a battery pack of its own design. All components will be built in Lucid’s factory in Arizona and shipped to the UK. Aston technical chief Roberto Fedeli hoped to have the first electric Aston drivetrain working on a test bench by the end of the year and the first mule running on the roads by the start of 2024.
The architecture the powertrain will be used in will be a “fully flexible BEV platform, modular in height and wheelbase”, said Fedeli, who said the platform was being designed to last well into the 2030s. Aston will be able to make a sports car 2cm lower than the current 1273cm Aston Martin Vantage, something enabled by the compact size and design of the Lucid cells. However, the first Aston EV will not be a sports car but an electric SUV crossover, previewed in a teaser sketch released alongside the Lucid news.
Aston’s chief brand and commercial officer Marco Mattiacci said that the growth in the EV market between now and 2030 is in GT and SUV, and that Aston will be looking at those segments first. “Then we talk to customers, and see customer appetite; this will depend on whether we do a sports car. Data and credibility: those elements will shape this.”
Before the electric SUV launches, Aston’s first foray into electrified powertrains will be with the Aston Martin Valhalla mid-engined supercar. A 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine will power the rear wheels and twin electric motors of Aston’s own design for the fronts. The combined power output of this car was 1004bhp, said Fedeli.
Lucid’s electric drive units have 9hp per kg of power density, which is more than double Tesla and eight times that of Hyundai’s motors. The firm is also working on motors for racing that have 17hp per kg. Aston will get access to Lucid’s electric drive units, which house the motor, inverter, and transmission in an integrated unit. Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson said that all technology was derivative of that on the Air but with “significant software changes”. He added: “The main difference is in thermal integration and battery layout. It will be a different shape battery pack with a software difference.”
In conclusion, the partnership between Aston Martin and Lucid is set to revolutionize the luxury EV market. With Lucid’s cutting-edge technology and Aston Martin’s iconic design, the new family of electric vehicles is sure to be a game-changer in the industry. The first electric SUV is set to launch in late 2025, followed by a GT by the end of the decade. Aston Martin’s partnership with Lucid is a testament to its commitment to sustainability and innovation, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for this exciting collaboration.