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Rolls-Royce announces first-ever fully electric car
By Tempus | 29 September 2021 | Cars & Yachts, Lifestyle
Iconic car manufacturer to bring new model, dubbed Spectre, to market in Q4 2023
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has revealed plans to launch its first-ever fully electric model by the end of 2023, putting in motion the manufacturer’s scheme to phase out all combustion engine production by 2030.
The new model, dubbed Spectre, will be tested in the coming years in a process that will see it cover upwards of 2.5 million kilometres – simulating over 400 years of use – before deliveries begin in Q4 of 2023.
In a statement, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös said the announcement marked "the most significant day in the history of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars since 4 May 1904".
“On that date, our founding fathers, Charles Rolls and Sir Henry Royce, first met and agreed that they were going to create ‘the best motor car in the world’,” he added. “Today, 117 years later, I am proud to announce that Rolls-Royce is to begin the on-road testing programme for an extraordinary new product that will elevate the global all-electric car revolution and create the first – and finest – super-luxury product of its type.”
Little is known about the specifications of the Spectre model, but it appears to be the culmination of multiple years of the brand experimenting with electric vehicles. In 2011, Rolls-Royce showcased a one-off edition of its Phantom model dubbed the 102EX, while in 2016 it launched an experimental prototype EV known as the 103EX. The latter of these two was not road legal, and neither model was marked for mass production.
Spectre, meanwhile, will be introduced to the wider market, and will signal the start of a remarkable pledge by Rolls-Royce to produce only fully electric vehicles by the year 2030.
“With this new product we set out our credentials for the full electrification of our entire product portfolio by 2030,” Müller-Ötvös said. “By then, Rolls-Royce will no longer be in the business of producing or selling any internal combustion engine products.”
“This Rolls-Royce is the fulfilment of a prophecy and it represents a promise kept as we embark upon a unique undertaking. It is the beginning of a new legacy for our brand.”