When Bond goes EV you know something momentous is happening in the world....!
Now listen very carefully, 007: please return this equipment in pristine condition. And fully charged.
British newspaper The Sun has reported that Daniel Craig's James Bond character will drive an electric vehicle in the franchise's next movie, working title Shatterhand.
According to the article, which has been widely circulated among other media, director Cary Joji Fukunaga is very keen on the idea of Bond driving a more eco-conscious car and is working with Aston Martin to have a fully electric Rapide E ready for shooting when it begins next month.
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Bond's last Aston was one-of-a-kind DB10. Next: a one-of-155 EV.
The car will reportedly star in a big action sequence - which won't stretch credibility at all because electric cars are far from slow. In fact, the new Aston should be blindingly fast.
Rapide E is Aston's first-ever full-electric vehicle. Just 155 are being made.
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Hopefully Bond will give the optional decal pack a miss.
Set for a late-2019 launch, the Rapide E has been co-developed with Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE).
It uses 5600 lithium-ion cells to create a 65kWh battery pack, mounted where the V12 engine would normally be installed.
One of the biggest challenges with the car, according to Aston, has been to package all of the electric architecture within the existing Rapide framework.
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Batteries are mounted where the V12 engine would normally be.
The battery system powers two rear mounted electric motors, producing 950Nm of torque.
Rapide E's range target is over 300km under the latest Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP). Possibly less under hero-villian car-chase conditions.
Projected top speed for the Rapide E is 250kmh, with a sub-4.0sec 0-96kmh (60mph) time.
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Aston says Rapide E will give maximum performance at all times - not just with a full battery.
Aston stresses that these figures are not restricted to a narrow window only, when the batteries are fully charged.
Instead, the target is for maximum performance on-demand throughout majority of the battery state of charge window, as would be expected from a conventional internal combustion-engined car.
This includes the ability to drive a full lap of the Nürburgring with no derating of the battery and the ability to cope with the daily demands of repeated hard acceleration and braking.
It's the first, but certainly not the last Aston EV - especially as the brand expands into other product areas, including the forthcoming DBX SUV.
Aston EVs will return.
A40 Price at posting:
18.5¢ Sentiment: Buy Disclosure: Held
