IPO-bound Aston Martin says its new facility at St Athan in Wales will become Aston Martin’s centre for electrification and the manufacturing home for the new all-electric Lagonda brand.
The Aston Martin Rapide E will be built in Wales when production commences in 2019.
Go deeper with GlobalData
St Athan has also been named as the home of Lagonda production. As the ‘world’s first luxury marque exclusively driven by zero emission powertrain technologies’, Lagonda heralds the beginning of a new range of luxury vehicles that will commence production in 2021. The ‘Lagonda Vision Concept’, revealed at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show hints at the bold design language that could be seen in future Lagonda products in as little as three years, Aston Martin says.
Dr Andy Palmer, Aston Martin President and Group Chief Executive Officer, said: “Aston Martin sees itself as a future leader in the development of zero emission technologies, and I am delighted that St Athan will be our ‘Home of Electrification’ for both the Aston Martin and Lagonda brands.
“The Rapide E will spearhead development of Aston Martin’s low- and zero-emission vehicle strategy. With the reintroduction of the Lagonda brand, this is a demonstration of how electrification features prominently in our business plan moving forward.”
UK International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox MP said: “I’m delighted that Aston Martin has chosen St Athan as its centre for electrification and the home of Lagonda production in a move that will create hundreds of high skilled jobs in the coming years. The UK has world leading expertise in manufacturing and developing low carbon vehicles and this investment is yet another vote of confidence in the our highly competitive automotive industry.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalData“My international economic department continues to work with investors to create jobs in all parts of the country, maintaining the UK’s position as Europe’s premier investment destination.”
Wales First Minister, Carwyn Jones said: “I am very proud of Aston Martin’s decision to locate its new manufacturing facility in St Athan. It shows a huge vote of confidence in the Welsh Government’s can-do attitude and in the package of support that we can offer to businesses that want to work with us.
“Today’s announcement that St Athan will also be the “Home of Electrification” for both Aston Martin and Lagonda is another huge win for Wales. It is a genuine testament to the reputation, dedication and skills of our workforce but also an excellent and very tangible example of how Welsh Government support can act as the catalyst for further economic growth and job creation.”
Aston Martin St Athan is now in the third and final phase of becoming a state-of-the-art vehicle assembly facility, in which production of the company’s first sports utility vehicle (SUV) is due to begin in late 2019. The project includes the conversion of three super hangars on the former Ministry of Defence site. The new plant will bring up to 750 high skilled jobs to South Wales over the coming years, with more than 150 already recruited.
A new UK EV battery producing joint venture between Williams Advanced Engineering and Unipart Manufacturing Group is set to begin operations supplying Aston Martin in 2019.
See also: Aston Martin Lagonda future models
