Aston to keep ICE for as long as it can; goes all in on PHEV

*There's a lot more hype in EVs than demand, especially at our price," says chairman

- MARK TISSHAW

There will "always be demand" for combustion-engined cars, according to Aston Martin executive chairman Lawrence Stroll, who has pledged to keep selling them for as long as he is legally allowed to.

Aston Martin recently pushed back its plans to launch its first electric car in 2025 to 2027 and has increased investments in plug-in hybrid technology accordingly.

Stroll expects PHEVs to be far more than a bridging technology and that they will remain on sale well into the mid-2030s and beyond.

Aston customers have told dealers that they want "sounds and smells" and favour ICE technology for their cars, according to Stroll.

Going electric

Aston Martin has developed a bespoke EV architecture and plans to launch four electric cars on it, including a GT, an SUV, a crossover and a 'midengined' supercar, but they won't hit the market before 2027, with the first due to be revealed in late 2026.

"We have designed and ready one platform to take four different vehicles," Stroll told Autocar. "We have all the products technically engineered and physically designed.

"We planned to launch at the end of 2025 and were ready to do so, but it seems there's a lot more hype in EVS-politically driven or whatever - than consumer demand, particularly at an Aston Martin price point."