Ahead of a significant announcement at 13:00 hours BST on September 29, 2021, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has confirmed it will introduce a production battery electric vehicle (BEV) in the next decade (2020-2030).
The Goodwood, UK-based bespoke luxury car manufacturer says the motor car will be a pure BEV, not a hybrid of any kind, and it will launched when every element meets Rolls-Royce’s technical, aesthetic and performance standards.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars chief executive Torsten Müller-Ötvös says the arrival of the first full-electric car from the bespoke British luxury car manufacturer will happen sooner than many thought possible.
“In this ground-breaking endeavour, we are drawing on a remarkable heritage, unique in our industry. Our founders and those who worked alongside them in the marque’s formative years were all important pioneers of electric power, as well as their era’s leading experts in automotive engineering,” Müller-Ötvös says.
He says when the first production Rolls-Royce BEV reaches the market, it will be the culmination of research and development work that has been in progress at Goodwood, for well over a decade.
In 2011, the marque released Phantom Experimental Electric (EE), codenamed 102EX; a fully operational and road-legal battery-electric version of its pinnacle product.
Phantom EE was never intended for production, serving instead as a working test-bed for clients, VIPs, the media and enthusiasts to experience electric propulsion and share their experiences, thoughts and considerations directly with Rolls-Royce designers and engineers.
The car’s 6.75-litre V12 petrol engine and gearbox were replaced with a lithium-ion battery pack and two electric motors mounted on the rear sub-frame, connected to a single-speed transmission with integrated differential. This system gave a maximum power output of 290kW and torque of 800Nm, compared to 338kW and maximum torque of 720Nm, delivered at 3,500rpm, for the V12 Phantom of the time.
While Phantom EE drew widespread acclaim for its technical accomplishment, particularly its near-total silence and impressive torque delivery, its limited range, long charging cycles and three-year battery life remained significant hurdles that Rolls-Royce would need to address in order to satisfy the expectations of its clients.
Launched in 2016, the Rolls-Royce Vision Next 100 (103EX) concept car set out to define the marque’s long-term vision of luxury mobility. It presented the motor car as offering truly individualised personal mobility, and an immersive emotional and sensory experience.
103EX was built around four key design tenets:
Coachbuilt bodywork will allow clients to commission a car that reflects their personal vision. A virtual assistant and chauffeur powered by artificial intelligence offer an effortless journey. The interior creates a Grand Sanctuary, crafted from rare and exclusive materials. And with its size and scale – 5.9 metres long and 1.6 metres high – the car ensures a Grand Arrival on reaching its destination.
Built on an advanced lightweight platform and powered by a proprietary, all-electric drive train, the motor car is completely autonomous.
The 103EX was a purely experimental car, never destined to enter production. Following a debut in London, the car embarked on a three-year world tour, returning to Goodwood in 2019.
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