Aston Martin Inks Deal With LeEco To Build Its First Electric Car

Aston Martin, the British sports car manufacturer will work with LeEco - a Chinese technology company, to develop an electric variant of the four-door Aston Martin Rapide.

Also See: Photos of Aston Martin RapidE Concept

The car manufacturer will work LeEco to develop an electric which produces a massive 1,000bhp electric car to rival the Tesla Model S.

Previously, both these partners worked together to produce a new internet-connected touchscreen infotainment system for the car. Currently, they have signed a memorandum to get the car into the production of the Aston Martin RapideE concept, which was showcased last October.

The RapidE would compete against Tesla's Model S, and its looking to sell the car by the end of 2017, this is to achieve the reduction in CO2 emissions across its range.

The company had initially used Cygnet, a small car based on Toyota, to achieve this, however, current CEO Andy Palmer believes that a flagship electric model would make more sense.

"On my watch we are never going to put a diesel engine in an Aston," Palmer said, "and I don't think the Cygnet was the right thing to do. I think a car that sits squarely above the Tesla would be much more interesting. Most people who buy Teslas are buying fully loaded ones, which implies there's room for that."

Palmer, who is a former Nissan executive, he has immense knowledge when it comes to electric cars, developing the Leaf for Nissan. He added: "I'm a great advocate of electric vehicles, not for fuel economy, but for performance."

The RapidE concept produced an exceptional 1000bhp, compared to the standard, 6.0litre V12-engined car, which produces 552bhp.