Aston Martin and Lucid have entered into a long-term strategic partnership that will see the British car manufacturer use the advanced electric powertrain technologies developed by Lucid.
In the surprise announcement, Aston Martin says it wants to “create the world’s most thrilling and highly desirable electric performance cars” and moving forward will gain access to Lucid’s high-performance twin motor drive unit, its battery technology, and its Wunderbox, an advanced charging unit. The deal forms part of Aston Martin’s Racing Green sustainability strategy and comes as part of a £2+ billion ($2.55 billion) investment in advanced technologies over the next five years. The contracts with Lucid are worth over $450 million.
In addition to the agreement with Lucid, Aston Martin has revealed that it is developing an all-new in-house Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) platform that will power future hypercar, sports car, GT car, and SUV models. Mercedes-Benz will also continue to provide the marque with access to its powertrain and electric/electronic architectures for current and future models, including EVs.
Read: Aston Martin Pledges For A Fully Electrified Model Range By 2030
“The supply agreement with Lucid is a game changer for the future EV-led growth of Aston Martin,” the British automaker’s executive chairman Lawrence Stroll said. “Based on our strategy and requirements, we selected Lucid, gaining access to the industry’s highest performance and most innovative technologies for our future BEV products. We will not only leverage the significant investments Lucid has made to develop its world-class technologies, but will also further enhance and differentiate the drive experience through the work Roberto Fedeli and his teams are already developing, aligned with our ultra-luxury, high-performance strategy.”
Aston Martin will launch its first EV in 2025 and the agreement marks the first manufacturer-supply relationship that Lucid’s technology wing has secured.
“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,” added Lucid chief executive and chief technology officer Peter Rawlinson.
Aston Martin notes that its forthcoming EVs won’t just feature impressive powertrains but that active aerodynamics and drag reduction measures will also be key elements of their designs. For example, there will be active cooling vents and airflow management around the wheel arches and underbody.
