Aston Martin has officially jumped headfirst into the electric vehicle market. The British automaker took that big step after announcing its partnership with LeEco, a Chinese tech company known for is affiliation with electric carmaker Faraday Future.
The plan now calls for both sides to continue developing the production version of the RapidE Concept with an eye towards seeing it hit the market by 2018. It’s a job that’s far easier said than done, but the two are banking on a working relationship that has existed before. The two have worked together numerous times in the past, including LeEco providing its LEtv Internet of the Vehicle (IOV) system for the Aston Martin Rapide S. They’ve also been working together in developing low-emission vehicle technologies, something that will no doubt prove useful with this new partnership in place to bring the RapidE to market.
The announcement also included hints of a “potential” three-way partnership between the two companies and Faraday Future, the start-up brand that plans to build its own line of electric vehicles.
It’s no secret that automakers from all corners of the world have already invested heavily in the development of electric cars. Aston Martin, though not as big as the likes of Ford, Volkswagen, or General Motors, is looking to get a piece of that pie, especially in the Chinese market where its partnership with LeEco could provide the gateway towards establishing the RapidE as a viable option for Chinese customers.
The timetable set by the two companies to have the production RapidE out in the market by 2018 fits into the Chinese government’s own plan to have five million electric cars by 2020. Incentives have already been put in place by the government to encourage Chinese buyers to opt for EVs and if the RapidE’s production timetable is met, it could prove to be an attractive option for a market that has proven to embrace premium brands like Aston Martin.
Continue after the jump to read the full story.
from Top Speed http://ift.tt/1LwltX0
via IFTTT
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire