Aston Martin and Chinese technology firm LeEco have announced a memorandum of understanding towards joint development of a production version of the RapidE EV concept.
LeEco recently rebranded from Letv and is the financial backing behind Faraday Future, the EV startup that surprised attendees at CES in January.
The two companies have already been working together on developing internet connectivity options for future Aston Martins, but this new deal extends to battery systems and powertrain work.
The first aim is to bring a production version of the RapidE to market. The concept car was created by Aston Martin to explore how it could adapt an existing model into an all-electric sports sedan.
Aston Martin CEO, Dr Andy Palmer, said, “We are dedicated to developing a range of cars with low emission technologies. We have been encouraged by the project speed and technical depth shown by LeEco in the development of the RapidE concept toward full production. Bringing the RapidE to market by 2018 is an important milestone for both companies.”
March 4, 2016