Aston Martin will work with battery startup Britishvolt to develop bespoke high-performance batteries for future electric vehicles, the automaker said on Monday.
Aston Martin and Britishvolt will collaborate on both cells and packs, with targets for the resulting designs that include “new standards” of charging time, range, and perhaps most importantly for a brand like Aston Martin, repeatable on-track performance.
The new partnership will supplement an existing technology sharing partnership between Aston Martin and major shareholder Mercedes-Benz.
Britishvolt was only established in 2019 but the company is already constructing a battery plant in the U.K. and is working with a number of automakers, including Lotus. It is focused for now on lithium-ion battery technology, and plans to offer solutions for both EVs and energy storage.
Aston Martin and Britishvolt battery
Aston Martin has confirmed its first two EVs as a sports car and SUV. The sports car comes first, in 2025, and is tipped to be a replacement for the DB11. The DB11 is now the oldest model in the Aston Martin fleet, and as a grand tourer, where weight isn't as much of an issue compared to track-focused sports cars, is the most suited for battery power.
The electric SUV is expected to follow in 2026.
Aston Martin has some experience in developing batteries. The automaker previously developed an 800-volt battery for a planned electric version of the Rapide, but the project was canceled in 2020.
Before the arrival of Aston Martin's EVs, we'll see some hybrids. A mild-hybrid DBX was just launched in China, and the plug-in hybrid Valhalla hypercar will arrive in early 2024. A plug-in hybrid DBX should follow shortly after, and by 2026, all Aston Martins will have an electrified powertrain option.
