The Advanced Propulsion Centre funds Aston Martin’s bespoke EV platform

Aston Martin’s high-performance electrification strategy has been awarded £9 million (about RM51,826,476) of government funding through the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC), further supplementing the research and development of the British luxury brand’s innovative modular battery electric vehicle (BEV) platform.

Awarded following a competitive process, the government grant will support the development of Aston Martin’s luxury BEV platform and enable a route to net-zero, including investment in vehicle light weighting, a digital tool chain and electrification training for a more all round and ensure better EVs from the brand faster.

Moreover, the innovative British ultra-luxury carmaker is making a £2 billion (approximately RM 11,535,484,113) commitment to advanced technologies over the next five years, with its investment phasing from internal combustion engine (ICE) to BEV technology as many other brands are also doing.

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 ensuring a smooth ride and adequate power in every model.

On top of that, Roberto Fedeli, Group Chief Technology Officer of Aston Martin, said, “The award of funding from the APC is another major boost to our electrification strategy and constant strive for innovation.”

“Providing further resources to explore the possibilities of our bespoke BEV platform, it will help achieve our ambition to be an in-house BEV technology leader in the ultra-luxury, high-performance segment. We look forward to progressing this project with our collaborative partners and thank the APC for their incredible support.” He added.

Ian Constance, APC Chief Executive, also stated, “The 23^rd round of our collaborative R&D competition coincides with the APC’s 10th anniversary. We’ve seen over £1.4 billion (about RM 8,076,176,744) 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…”

The first Aston Martin electric vehicle (EV) is targeted for launch in 2025. In 2024 the company will deliver its first plug-in hybrid, the mid-engine Valhalla supercar and by 2026 all new Aston Martin model lines will feature an electrified powertrain option, with the long-term objective for its core range to be fully electrified by 2030.