Aston Martin electrification gets $18m

Aston Martin’s high-performance electrification strategy has been awarded NZ$18.4 million (nine million pounds) of United Kingdom government funding through the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC), supplementing research and development of Aston Martin’s modular battery electric vehicle (BEV) platform.

It will allow investment in vehicle light weighting, a digital toolchain and electrification training too.

The British ultra-luxury car manufacturer is making a NZ$4 billion (two billion pounds) commitment to advanced technologies over the next five years, with its investment phasing from internal combustion engine (ICE) to BEV technology.

Project Elevation, a six-partner collaborative research and development project led by Aston Martin, is supported by the Manufacturing Technology Centre, Expert Tooling & Automation, Creative Composites, Fuzzy Logic Studio and WMG, University of Warwick.

The project will address the technical challenges of developing a lightweight, 800V traction battery pack and twin front electric drive unit (EDU) into a modular BEV platform with a bandwidth from supercar to SUV.

Aston Martin group chief technology officer Roberto Fedeli says the APC funding provides further resources to explore the BEV platform.

“It will help achieve our ambition to be an in-house BEV technology leader in the ultra-luxury, high-performance segment.”

APC chief executive Ian Constance says: “The 23rd round of our collaborative R&D competition coincides with the APC’s 10th anniversary.

“We’ve seen over 1.4 billion pounds of investment into automotive projects since the APC was set up, and I am proud of the impact that we have made here in the UK.

“This latest announcement includes a diverse set of OEMs and suppliers that demonstrate the strength of UK automotive.”

The first all-electric Aston Martin is targeted for launch in 2025.

Next year the company will deliver its first plug-in hybrid (PHEV) – the mid-engined supercar Valhalla.

By 2026 all new Aston Martin model lines will feature an electrified powertrain option, the firm aiming for its core range to be fully electrified by 2030.