The British ultra-luxury brand Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, owned by the German BMW, has confirmed the name of its first electric car model, Spectre, along with a late 2023 arrival date and more details. Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös stated that by 2030, Rolls-Royce “will no longer be in the business of producing or selling any internal combustion engine products.”
Müller-Ötvös described it as the most significant day in Rolls-Royce automotive history since May 4, 1904, when Charles Rolls and Henry Royce met, agreeing to create “the best car in the world.”
The Rolls-Royce Spectre, a coupe, is expected to be the first regularly produced Rolls-Royce electric vehicle. However, it is not the first time Rolls-Royce has considered electric vehicles as the future. The company’s founders were enthusiasts of electric vehicles, with Royce being an electrical engineer who supplied electric motors, dynamos, and winches.
The Spectre will undergo a testing program covering 2.5 million kilometers (almost 1.6 million miles) simulating over 400 years of use.
Rolls-Royce’s move towards electric vehicles aligns with the broader direction taken by BMW Group since 2019, emphasizing electric vehicles.
While Rolls-Royce has not been explicitly aligned with an all-electric future over the past decade, recent developments signal a significant shift. The separate Rolls-Royce company, which split from the automaker in 1971, produces aircraft engines and recently achieved a milestone with the electric aircraft “Spirit of Innovation,” featuring the highest energy density battery pack ever assembled for an aircraft.
This move reflects the electric vehicle revolution envisioned by Rolls and Royce over a century ago, taking on a new dimension they might not have anticipated. It signifies a pivotal step towards the future of electric mobility.
