8th Mar 2021 09:34
(Alliance News) - Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC has pledged to build all its electric cars in the UK from 2025.
The luxury car-maker told the Financial Times that its electric SUV models will be manufactured at its factory in St Athan, South Wales, while its battery sports car will be made at its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire.
This is instead of the vehicles being built at German plants owned by its partner, Mercedes-Benz, which owns a fifth of the firm.
Aston Martin plans to launch hybrid versions of its cars from this year, followed by battery-only models from 2025.
Executive chairman Lawrence Stroll, the Canadian billionaire who led a bailout of the company last year, told the Financial Times: "The SUV will be built in Wales and the sports cars will be built here (in Gaydon)."
The UK plans to ban sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, with hybrids prohibited from 2035.
A number of manufacturers have announced commitments to shift from electric and diesel engines.
Ford announced last month that it will sell only electric cars in the UK and Europe by 2030.
This came two days after Jaguar made the same pledge from 2025.
Stroll claimed Aston Martin is "way ahead of our rivals, and all because of our partnership with Mercedes".
Ferrari has pledged to release hybrid cars by 2030, while Bentley plans to go fully electric by the same date.
No timelines have been set for pure-electric cars by McLaren or Lamborghini.
Aston Martin has been badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
A total of 4,150 cars were sold in 2020 – a third fewer than a year earlier, although bosses had already said they wanted to sell a smaller number of vehicles in the hope of regaining greater exclusivity for the brand.
Pretax loss in 2020 rose to GBP466 million compared with a GBP120 million loss a year earlier.
By Neil Lancefield
source: PA
Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Related Shares:
Aston Martin Lagonda