Aston Martin expects electrified models to account for more than 20% of its global sales by the year 2024, said CEO Tobias Moers, who also confirmed that a plug-in hybrid version of the DBX luxury SUV is scheduled to arrive in 2023.
Now that the British brand has secured access to advanced Mercedes-Benz tech, it could even scrap its hybrid V6 drivetrain project (which was supposed to debut on the Valhalla), in favor of a Mercedes unit, as reported by Autonews Europe.
After expanding on their partnership, Mercedes could boost their 2.3% stake in Aston Martin to as much as 20% in return for hybrid and EV powertrains.
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“We are still working on that [hybrid drivetrain], but we now have alternatives. It’s too early to say,” stated the Aston Martin CEO, implying that his company now has a choice to make regarding development.
After the Valhalla, Aston Martin will debut an electrified Vanquish, with Moers stating that people who buy mid-engined supercars nowadays expect them to have some type of hybrid technology. As for a fully-electric model, it will arrive in 2025-2026, utilizing Mercedes-Benz technology.
We should also point out that Aston Martin was planning to launch its first EV in 2021-2022 using the revived Lagonda badge – however those plans have now been scrapped.
“Lagonda has a different purpose for the future. Electric-driven cars are supposed to be Aston Martins,” he said.
While he’s open to using a Mercedes electric architecture, Moers didn’t specify if it would be a complete platform.
“If you did everything yourself, like creating a new EV architecture, your capex [capital expenditure] line would look dramatically more expensive.”
Moers also hinted at a new front-engine sports car for 2023, one that’s likely to replace the DB11.
