- Aston Martin’s first EV will launch this decade, but it’s unclear what form it’ll take.
- CEO Adrian Hallmark acknowledges that the weight of EV batteries remains a concern.
- Saudi-owned American carmaker Lucid will supply Aston with batteries and electric motors.
There are a lot of ways car manufacturers can attempt to spice up their EVs for driving enthusiasts. Hyundai has done this by a,.dding fake exhaust sounds and a synthetic dual-clutch gearbox to its Ioniq 5 N, and while Aston Martin doesn’t yet have an EV, it’s already started to think of ways to make an EV fun. This could include making it vibrate like a car with an internal combustion engine.
While recently speaking about Aston Martin’s first EV, which is set to arrive later this decade, chief executive Adrian Hallmark said agitating the body of an EV will help drivers form an emotional connection with it. The use of such technology could even make it feel like drivers are behind the wheel of a V12-powered Valkyrie, even if there’s no ICE.
Read: Aston Martin’s First EV Might Be Delayed Once Again
“If you mapped the telemetry of a V12 engine (even a Valkyrie naturally aspirated race engine), measure the frequencies and then built those into the body structure of the vehicle linked to the throttle position and torque load of the electric-motors, and then suppressed digitally by counter waves the nasty high-pitched, cheap sounding electrical frequency noises, you would feel exactly like you’re in a Valkyrie V12 Le Mans car,” Hallmark told Top Gear.
Of course, simply producing an EV that drivers can connect with won’t be enough. Hallmark acknowledged that the weight of EVs remains a burden. However, he did say that this problem could be sold with solid-state batteries that weigh up to 30% less than current batteries.
“So you can get there, but it requires some significant steps in technology or process to be able to get to the feeling you get in a [Lamborghini] Huracán STO or [Ferrari 488] Pista,” he said.
Aston Martin is remaining tight-lipped about what form its first EV will take. Regardless of whether it’s a sports car, a grand tourer, or perhaps an SUV/crossover, it will use battery technology and electric motors from Lucid.
