Adrian Hallmark, who took over as director of Aston Martin, is not very fond of the idea of only making electric cars by 2040.
Electric cars are coming. In fact, they're already here. And they're here to stay. Yet Aston Martin rejects the idea of building only electric cars.
At least not before 2040 at the earliest. That's according to Adrian Hallmark, who has been in the position of director at the British car brand for five months now.
In a new interview with Pistonheads, Adrian Hallmark makes his mission very clear – he wants to be the first director in 112 years to make Aston Martin a sustainable profitable business.
Right now, Aston needs to move forward a little slower and 'more boring', the director believes. Boring as in, not spitting a new car or a facelift on the street every three months.
Money is needed on the bottom line to create a completely normal, healthy business. Even if Aston Martin's best-selling car isn't exactly a bargain.
Back in September, the brand's management aimed to deliver 7,000 cars before the end of the year. And the majority of them are the DBX SUV, which now always has 707 horsepower from a 4-liter V8 engine from AMG.
However, the Chinese can get a 3-liter inline-six with 425 horsepower. Aston Martin has also purchased this from Mercedes' tuner department.
It brings us back to electric cars. Because they are conspicuous by their absence in Aston Martin's model range. Fortunately, rivals Lamborghini have just postponed their first electric car, but Aston Martin is in no hurry to follow suit.
– Until 2030, the majority of our business will still revolve around the combustion engine with some form of electrification.
– And after 2030 they (the cars, ed.) will become more and more electric, until they become fully electric. But that may not even happen in 2035. You never know – but in '35 to '40 we can say more about that kind of thing.
One thing Adrian Hallmark rejects very strongly, however: It is impossible to keep a business like Aston Martin running if the brand were to switch to selling only electric cars overnight.
– It is impossible for us to switch to electric cars right now and have any business at the same time.
Even though the internal combustion engine is not going to die tomorrow or in a year, not all engine types will survive.
For example, Hallmark believes that supplies of the 5.2-liter V12 engine with twin turbos will decrease during 2028. Because the engine will be discontinued during 2030. At least as things stand right now.
The fact that the V12 engine can live so 'long' is actually also due to the EU. Because even though it is the EU's rules that stifle the life of the big engine, it is the same politicians who look more leniently at the small car brands.
Aston Martin, Ferrari and Lamborghini are still in a small league of their own. Due to the brands' limited production, the emissions requirements are not as strict.
They do not have to meet the exact same requirements, which Volkswagen fears could suffocate the entire business in stalls. Read more about it here .
Some of the smaller car brands, on the other hand, also fear for the future. In England, for example, Jaguar tuner Lister cannot get an answer as to whether they can be exempted from the country's upcoming emissions requirements.
This has already led the brand's management to put a stop to the development of a new model. And it is not certain that it will ever start again.