Aston Martin is making waves in the automotive world with its announcement that it will build an electric version of its Cygnet city car. The Aston Martin e-Cygnet will be released in 2012 and is essentially a re-badged Toyota iQ with Aston Martin styling.
The reason why the Aston Martin e-Cygnet is making waves is simple: the brand is known for its luxurious cars with big engines that go really, really fast. The e-Cygnet looks to be about the size of a Smart Car and has an electric engine rated at 98bhp. Still, the company does have to comply with the strict emissions regulations of the EU -- that, and the company plans to turn a tidy profit on the e-Cygnet, selling it for almost three times the price they paid to produce it.
Supercar purists be wary as Aston Martin's all-electric car could be just the tip of the iceberg. I wouldn't be shocked to see manufacturers such as Lamborghini or Ferrari eventually turning their attention towards producing cleaner and smaller cars.
Shrunken Electric Supercars
The Aston Martin e-Cygnet is the Company's First All-Electric Car
Trend Themes
1. Electric Supercars - The trend of developing all-electric versions of high-performance luxury cars opens up disruptive innovation opportunities in the automotive industry.
2. Luxury Electric Cars - The emergence of luxury electric cars like the Aston Martin e-Cygnet presents opportunities for disruptive innovation in the luxury automotive industry.
3. Compliance with Emissions Regulations - The need for car manufacturers to comply with strict emissions regulations creates opportunities for disruptive innovation in developing electric vehicles that meet the requirements.
Industry Implications
1. Automotive - The automotive industry has the opportunity to embrace disruptive innovation by developing and producing electric supercars and luxury electric cars.
2. Luxury Goods - The luxury goods industry, specifically luxury car manufacturers, can explore disruptive innovation by focusing on developing and marketing high-performance electric vehicles.
3. Environmental Technology - The environmental technology industry can provide disruptive innovation opportunities by developing sustainable and emission-compliant electric vehicle technologies.