Aston Martin has developed an all-electric version of the Rapide saloon, called the RapidE, and is showing it in London during the visit of Chinese premier Xi Jinping.
Aston is deep in talks with ChinaEquity about investment in the sports car brand, so the electric super-saloon has been developed (with help from Williams Engineering, better known for its F1 cars...) to help those talks along. Aston claims that with the right investment it could have the car on sale within two years.
Aston Martin CEO, Dr Andy Palmer, said: "We see luxury electric vehicles as an intrinsic part of our future product portfolio and welcome ChinaEquity into the next phase of study for the project development. The exciting RapidE concept tangibly demonstrates the capability and ambition of Aston Martin towards developing low- and zero-emission sports cars."
On the signing of this agreement, Chairman Chaoyong Wang of ChinaEquity said: "We are delighted that Aston Martin not only provides a high performance driving experience to customers, but also show's their social responsibility by showcasing a new generation of electric car with zero emissions. We are excited to participate in the development of the RapidE and to make a contribution to Sino-British clean energy and green environmental strategy. We feel confident that there are significant opportunities for electric cars in China and the world."