Aston Martin Reverses Course, Will Sell Combustion Cars Into the 2030s

Automakers left and right are reevaluating their EV strategies, including Aston Martin. The company recently postponed the launch of its first battery-electric vehicle from 2025 until 2027, and now the company’s executive chairman is expecting to continue selling combustion cars into the 2030s because that’s what its customers want.

Company boss Lawrence Stroll told Autocar that Aston buyers desire cars with “sounds and smells” from combustion engines, and he believes there’ll always be a market for them, which is one reason the automaker is delaying its EV. He told the publication there's more hype than consumer demand for EVs at Aston’s price point, but added that its shift to electric power will happen. It’ll just take longer than planned. 

These future combustion-powered Astons will feature some electrification, however. The automaker is now investing heavily in plug-in hybrid technology for its V-8 and V-12 engines. That will help it meet increasingly stringent emissions standards while enhancing the performance of its products, and Stroll said he’d sell them until they were banned.

The industry’s transition to BEVs continues to face challenges. Waning and inconsistent demand, high prices, and the lack of charging infrastructure continue to hinder adoption in many places, putting automakers in a difficult position as some markets shift more quickly to EVs than others.

In the US, EV sales were a mixed bag through the first three months of the year. Volvo saw its EV sales fall by 65 percent in the first quarter of 2024, while Mustang Mach-E deliveries jumped 77 percent. However, first-quarter sales also revealed a boom in hybrids, with the newly restyled Prius increasing its sales by 138 percent. Volvo hybrids increased by 45 percent, so Aston seems correct with its plan to invest in PHEVs like other high-end brands, such as Lamborghini.

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