Aston Martin Delays First Electric Car Launch Due to Lower-Than-Expected Demand

Iconic British automaker Aston Martin has pushed back the launch of its first electric vehicle (EV) by a year, citing lower-than-expected consumer demand for luxury electric cars. The company canceled its original plans to release a high-performance electric GT in 2025. Chairman Lawrence Stroll has announced a delay until 2026.

Shifting Gears: Plug-in Hybrids as a Bridge

Aston Martin will not forsake the electrification altogether while the electric car launch is delayed. The business recognizes that vehicles of tomorrow will run on electricity, but it feels there is “a small wait” for consumers to adopt it, especially those in expensive sports cars. It means Aston Martin will focus on plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles as their clients’ ‘bridging technology’ during this period. Their first PHEV, due to be launched later this year is Valhalla supercar with an electrified V8 engine.

Stroll explained the reason behind PHEV strategy as follows: “There are still people who want some electrification for city driving, but they also desire a traditional sports car experience for long drives. Hybrid technology is thus an ideal answer to this problem, especially in a company like ours that focuses more on delivering thrills and excitement.”

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Looking Ahead: Powerful EVs with American Tech

Aston Martin is however committed to electric vehicle adoption over the long term. It was announced last year that their upcoming electric vehicles will feature powertrains and batteries sourced from Lucid Motors, an American EV maker with whom Aston Martin has partnered since 2023. These high-performance models are anticipated to have up to four electric motors giving out combined totals of a breathtaking 1500 horsepower! For that matter, Aston Martin will build its own battery packs using cells and modules made by Lucid. The platform will be flexible enough for various body designs ranging between sleek sport cars at one end and SUVs at the other end.

The first electrified Aston Martin is expected to blend in these two formats, similar in dimension with Porsche Taycan but a little taller.

Different choices of the consumers

Aston Martin’s delayed roll-out of their EV and focus on PHEVs is indicative of a general trend experienced across the automobile sector. Similar sentiments were recently expressed by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, founder of Ineos Automotive, who said that “consumers must have a choice” and that “we cannot force them to take it” on EVs.

Lynn Calder, CEO of Ineos Automotive, added: “We know not all purchasers want an EV. They serve some purposes, but we wouldn’t be surprised if instead of 100%, it would end up accounting for maybe 25-30%.”

Indian Market

In India currently Aston Martin offers Vantage sports car and DBX SUV. The company has recently launched DB12 luxury coupe which was priced at Rs 4.59 crore (ex-showroom).

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