Aston Martin plans electric car with Chinese group

Aston Martin is to develop and put an electric car into production by 2018 after teaming up with the LeEco, the Chinese backer of the US electric car start-up Faraday Future.

The two companies will work on a new version of the Rapide four-door called the RapidE, revealed towards the end of 2015, followed by a string of "next generation connected electric vehicles".

Rumours suggest the car will have a 200-mile range and around the same 550bhp as the conventional vehicle, though power outputs of up to 1000bhp and four-wheel drive have been hinted at, too.

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There's doubts around the deal though, reports the BBC.

Citing Aston Martin's position as a small, low-volume sports-car manufacturer going up against automotive giants in the field of electric vehicles, the Faraday link could be an Achilles heel.

Professor David Bailey, from Aston Business School, told the broadcaster that while working with LeEco could help speed up the development of electric vehicle technologies at both companies, doing it through Faraday Future "seems questionable", considering little is known about the start-up and it has yet to deliver a functioning prototype.

"Many have questioned Faraday's ability to deliver on the promise, considering just how hard it is to start a competitive car company," says The Verge. The partnership is a two-way street, though. If all goes well, Aston will get to develop cars with connected, smart qualities while LeEco will gain motor industry expertise from the British manufacturer.

Autoblog adds that being a Rapide, the first electric vehicle developed by the partnership won't be a mainstream offering. A production version of the Aston Martin DBX electric crossover seen at the Geneva Motor Show last year is a likely end game and could be released in 2019.

!More information regarding the partnership could be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in March, where Aston will also reveal its brand new DB11 supercar."