Aston Martin, the iconic British luxury carmaker, is set to reveal its new line-up of cars over the next five years, including plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), at its capital markets day on June 27th. The company’s first BEV is “on schedule” to arrive in 2026, according to Chairman Lawrence Stroll. Despite the lack of demand from customers for BEVs, Stroll is optimistic about the potential of PHEVs, which he believes will “last well into the 2030s.” The Valhalla supercar will be Aston’s first PHEV, due to go on sale by the end of 2024.
New platform for Aston Martin’s first electric car
Aston Martin’s first BEV will be a “new product” on a “new platform,” according to Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman. The platform will not come from any partnership with Geely, which recently raised its stake in Aston to 17%, as Technical Boss Roberto Fedeli confirmed. Instead, Aston Martin has its own roadmap for developing a new vehicle dynamic that sees electric as more than just a powertrain. Fedeli said, “Our thought is that electric is not a powertrain but a new vehicle dynamic. For this reason, we have in mind our own road map.”
New ICE cars to replace existing models
In addition to its PHEVs and BEVs, Aston Martin will also reveal “the balance of ICE cars coming over the next 18 months,” said Stroll. These seven models will replace the existing DB11, Vantage, and DBS ranges, with a drop-top DB12 Volante expected to arrive first. The new Vantage will follow shortly after, evolving into a more overtly sporting model to differentiate it from the larger DB12. The new line-up will lay the foundation for Stroll’s ambition of building 10,000 cars per year, with each made to order on an 18-24-month wait list.
Stroll’s vision for Aston Martin
Stroll’s vision for Aston Martin is to be “ultra-luxury wedded with high performance and take marketing and technology from Formula 1.” He is looking for higher gross margins, not volumes, saying, “That’s luxury.” Before Stroll’s Yew Tree consortium invested in Aston in 2020 before an eventual takeover, the company had planned to build up to 20,000 cars per year across its Gaydon and St Athan sites. However, Stroll is focused on building a luxury experience, with each model range taking “10% less than the demand,” which “is leaving money on the table but keeps residuals [values] high.”
Production sites
Stroll still wants two production sites, just not two shifts. Production at St Athan will be around 4000 DBX SUVs (and derivatives) per year over one shift, with a similar number at Gaydon for the front-engined models, also on one shift. The mid-engined models will be built at Gaydon, and Stroll said, “We’re looking at the EV there” too, pushing it up towards its 6000-7000 capacity. Gaydon could be expanded “by acquiring more land and rejigging inside,” and this is something that Aston is considering. However, there is no threat to St Athan now that Stroll has inherited it. “It would cost more to close a factory than to keep it going,” he said.