Of all the historic sports car manufacturers, Aston Martin seems the most willing to go electric. But he lacks the means. For the moment, Lawrence Stroll has initiated discussions with Lucid and the Saudi sovereign wealth fund.
Not everyone is a Porsche. Thus, Ferrari, Lamborghini, or other McLarens are considering electric, but as a constraint. For its part, Aston Martin was one of the first “super sport” or “super luxury” manufacturers to seriously consider electric models in its range.
First with the RapidE sedan. The project developed with Williams Advanced Engineering was finally abandoned in 2020. Subsequently, Aston Martin confirmed a new electric range for 2026. For the British brand, let's admit that things are a little easier than for its rivals, since its image is not that of an engine manufacturer. It does not fundamentally rely on the refinement of its mechanics. Mechanics which are currently supplied by a competitor, that is to say…
Mercedes, in continuity
Aston Martin therefore seems rather voluntary in terms of electrification and could even do well. But its technological resources are limited and its financial situation remains critical. No way to conceive alone. A partner is absolutely necessary.
Of course, electrification with Mercedes seems like the natural continuation of the supply of engines, transmissions and electronic components. Until now, we easily imagined the future electric Aston Martin as a close cousin of the future electric AMG GT, on the AMG.EA platform. Except that since the entry onto the scene of Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll, the partnership established a few years ago has been seen as more of a constraint than an opportunity, despite the links which also unite the two brands in Formula 1. Which reinforces the emergency, since the engines currently sent from Germany will leave the catalog by 2027, and the partner Britishvolt chosen for the batteries is in a bad position...
The Geely ogre in ambush
Another partner came forward last year: Geely. But the ambitious Chinese manufacturer may have lacked tact by entering directly into the capital of Aston Martin last fall with 7.6% of the shares. Approaching the share held by Mercedes, of which he is also a shareholder... Lawrence Stroll increased his stake in December, visibly to block the rise of the Chinese group, which therefore does not seem in a good position to become the future reference partner . For Geely, Aston Martin would represent a sort of “icing on the cake” in its edifice of multiple brands. Especially since Li Shufu is a great admirer of the brand and the price to pay is not that high, since Aston is valued “only” 1.39 billion euros since its failed IPO.
Aston Martin the tradition, Lucid the future
The last avenue is the one favored by the current management: Saudi Arabia and Lucid. From a product point of view, Aston Martin would position itself above Lucid in terms of price, without much risk of cannibalization. A Lagonda derived from the Lucid Air Sapphire would look good and could probably be priced at over €300,000. And this would give Lucid’s image a certain anchor in the world of high-end and luxury.
As a bonus, the two manufacturers already share a reference shareholder: the Saudi sovereign fund, which owns 18.7% of Aston Martin and 60.5% of Lucid. Financially, a partnership would make sense, provided that the Saudis agree to put their hands in their pockets to support two manufacturers in a delicate financial situation. We can bet that the response will be positive if it allows us to add a gem like Aston Martin to the mix.
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