- The first fully-electric Aston will arrive by 2030
- Aston boss eyeing up a vibrating body structure
- A resonating chassis could mimic the feel of a thumping V12 engine
Even the world’s most revered sports car makers can’t ignore the fact that the future of the automotive industry is increasingly likely to be all-electric, and Aston Martin’s boss is already exploring ways to ensure his brand (among the world’s coolest) remains exciting.
But rather than rely on fake engine noises, outer space soundtracks or even synthesized gear shifts, Aston Martin’s CEO Adrian Hallmark feels that building physical vibrations into future vehicles could help create better emotional connections between customers and otherwise silent machines.
Speaking to Top Gear, Hallmark says that a recent drive of the Mercedes- AMG EQS led to the lightbulb moment, as he says that car “physically resonates” without the need for fake gearshifts or engine noises.
Building on the idea, Hallmark claims that by mapping the telemetry of the V12 engine found in the Valkyrie, measuring the frequencies and building these into “the body structure of the vehicle” it would replicate the feeling of being in control of a 12-cylinder car.
“So I believe without fake noises but by actually oscillating body structures and other structures with the frequencies that you get from a combustion powertrain, you can create an emotional connection,” he told Autocar.
Although the Aston Martin boss won’t be pinned down on an exact date that the debut fully-electric vehicle will be released, he has gone on record to say that customers can expect more hybrid versions to come in the near future, before pure battery electric vehicles arrive.
The problem, he says, is that battery electric vehicles remain heavy and therefore producing something that offers the dynamic drive of a lightweight sports car is difficult. Secondly, Hallmark says that half of the current Aston Martin customers base hate EVs “with a deep-rooted passion,” according to Top Gear.
Analysis: making EVs ‘fun’ is a complicated business
Despite partnering with Lucid, which will provide its battery and motor knowledge, as well as Mercedes-AMG, Aston Martin is still working out how it will develop an electric vehicle that will emotionally appeal to its discerning customer base.
Hyundai has been praised for attempting to crack the conundrum with its Ioniq 5 N, which has been touted as one of the most involving and visceral EV drives on sale, thanks to a plethora of technology that includes simulated gear shifts, realistic engine notes (including the crackle and pops of an exhaust) and trick steering that disguises the mass of the vehicle.
Later this year, we will see if Porsche can produce genuinely fun electric two-seater sports cars when the next generation of electric Boxster and Cayman arrive. Although the brand has already said it will continue to produce internal combustion engine counterparts in parallel.
Weight, cost, limited battery range under ‘spirited’ driving conditions and a lack of a spine-tingling, emotional connection have long been the major roadblocks standing in the way of electric sports cars.
But as EVs gain popularity and become more normalized, perhaps the old performance car markers will cease to play such an important role. It’s a point that the likes of Lamborghini and Ferrari are pinning their hopes on.
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