Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has unveiled its first fully electric car.
On-road testing of the new vehicle, named Spectre, is set to take place ahead of its market release in late 2023.
The announcement is a historic moment for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Torsten Müller-Ötvös called Spectre “an extraordinary new product”.
“It will elevate the global all-electric car revolution and create the first – and finest – super-luxury product of its type. This is not a prototype. It’s the real thing,” Müller-Ötvös added.
Spectre will combine electric powertrain technology with the Rolls-Royce spaceframe vehicle architecture.
The fully electric model will cover 2.5 million kilometres on a variety of terrain and conditions as part of Rolls-Royce’s on-road testing – the equivalent of 400 years of usage. “We will travel to all four corners of the world to push this new motor car to the limit,” said Müller-Ötvös.
Rolls-Royce has been working on electric vehicles for over a decade. In 2011, the company showcased a one-off prototype of a fully electric Phantom. Phantom employed a scalable, flexible spaceframe that, since its release, has underpinned all of Rolls-Royce’s cars. In 2016 Rolls-Royce unveiled designs for a fully electric 103EX. Spectre, however, marks the first time that Rolls-Royce has brought a fully electric vehicle to market.
Spectre is a major step towards Rolls-Royce’s aim of full electrification of its entire product portfolio by 2030. Speaking at the announcement of Spectre, Müller-Ötvös said: “We will continue to propel the world’s most progressive and influential women and men into a brilliant, electrified future.”