Rolls-Royce plan on going fully electric within 7 years of releasing it's first EV.
The company will sell its first electric car, the Spectre, in 2023, and will continue to phase out the internal combustion engine entirely by 2030, with the sale of its last 12-cylinder.
Facing the facts, the luxury car market is demanding electric, which is practically forcing brands, like Rolls-Royce, to heed the change. It'll be almost impossible to sell petrol and diesel cars in 2030.
But Rolls is embracing the change with open arms. With the announcement of the Spectre, paying homage to the heritage of the brand, they stated that in 1900, Charles Rolls rode in an electric horseless carriage.
But at the time, there wasn't the infrastructure to charge such vehicles.
"The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean," said Rolls over a hundred years ago. "There is no smell or vibration, and they should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged. But for now, I do not anticipate that they will be very serviceable—at least for many years to come."
It's now more than 120 years later, and the company his releasing its first EV, living the future the founder saw coming.
The Spectre is starting a very thorough road testing program, says current Rolls-Royce CEO, Müller-Ötvös.
"Electric drive is uniquely and perfectly suited to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars," he notes. "More so than any other automotive brand. It is silent, refined and creates torque almost instantly, going on to generate tremendous power. This is what we at Rolls-Royce call ‘waftability.'
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"To do this, we have conceived the most demanding testing program in Rolls-Royce’s history. We will cover 2.5 million kilometers—a simulation of more than 400 years of use for a Rolls-Royce, on average—and we will travel to all four corners of the world to push this new motor car to the limit.
“You will see these test cars on roads, around the world. Look out for them—they will be in plain sight. They will be tested in all conditions and over all terrains on their multi-million-mile journey—that will literally accelerate Rolls-Royce into the future."