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Lucid will supply Aston Martin with leading-edge electric powertrains

 11 months ago
source link: https://arstechnica.com/cars/2023/06/lucid-will-supply-aston-martin-with-leading-edge-electric-powertrains/
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Lucid will supply Aston Martin with leading-edge electric powertrains

The $450 million deal should see the next Aston Martin EV arrive in 2025.

Jonathan M. Gitlin - 6/26/2023, 1:56 PM

A black and white sketch of the outline of an Aston Martin
Aston Martin

On Monday morning, Aston Martin announced that it has a new technology partner. The low-volume British sports car maker has just signed a deal with Lucid, the US-based electric vehicle startup, that will see future Aston Martin EVs use Lucid's efficient and powerful powertrains.

"The proposed agreement with Lucid forms a significant pillar of our electrification strategy, providing Aston Martin with access to the industry's leading powertrain and battery systems technology. Combined with our internal development, this will allow us to create a single bespoke BEV platform suitable for all future Aston Martin products, all the way from hypercars to sports cars and SUVs," said Roberto Fedeli, Aston Martin's chief technology officer.

Aston Martin is paying Lucid $232 million in a combination of cash and shares to gain access to its technology. Additionally, it will spend at least $225 million on powertrain components.

"This partnership will represent a landmark collaboration between Aston Martin, a storied marque with a rich history, including winning at Le Mans and its current successes in F1, and the very best of Silicon Valley innovation and technology from Lucid," said Peter Rawlinson, Lucid's CEO and CTO. "In line with its strategy, Aston Martin selected Lucid, recognizing the profound benefits of adopting its world-leading electric drivetrain technology, exemplified by the breakthrough 516-mile EPA-estimated range achieved by the Lucid Air Grand Touring."

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That's part of a $2.5 billion sustainability strategy planned for the next five years that includes a new flexible architecture for EVs. Aston Martin plans to build EVs for all the market segments it currently competes in—hypercars, sports cars, GTs, and SUVs. The first of these is due in 2025.

The deal gives Aston Martin access to Lucid's compact and powerful twin-motor drive unit, which uses a pair of radial flux electric motors, as well as battery technology, and Lucid's Wunderbox (the onboard charging unit).

This is not the first technology supply agreement that Aston Martin has signed. For years, the company has sourced some internal combustion engines from Mercedes-AMG. More recently, Aston Martin revealed it would use Mercedes' latest electronic architecture from now on. That deal continues. "We now have two world-class suppliers to support the internal development and investments we are making to deliver our electrification strategy," said Lawrence Stroll, Aston Martin's executive chairman.

Aston Martin is also getting cozier with Geely, the Chinese automaker that owns (among other brands) Lotus, Polestar, and Volvo. Last September, Geely purchased a 7.6 percent stake in Aston Martin, which it increased to 17 percent this May.


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