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It seems that not a day goes by without another automaker tolling its own death knell for internal combustion engines (ICE), despite the fact that only two percent of US consumers are currently on board. Rolls-Royce, however, is not just another manufacturer. Known for developing what many consider the world’s finest 12-cylinder motors, and its long-standing commitment to them, the company revealed this morning that it’s coming out with a production EV named Spectre, which gives the ICE power train’s impending demise a ring of finality.
In the official announcement, CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös put it in perspective by stating, “Today is the most significant day in the history of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars since 4th May, 1904,” referencing the date that Charles Rolls and Sir Henry Royce first met. He added, “117 years later, I am proud to announce that Rolls-Royce is to begin the on-road testing program for an extraordinary new product that will elevate the global all-electric car revolution.”
Other than the name, Rolls-Royce is still keeping most of the specifics of its first production EV under wraps.
Photo: Courtesy of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.
Charles Rolls himself foreshadowed this moment for the brand in a quote from early last century, observing that “the electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean. 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.” Perhaps it’s taken longer than expected, but the automotive industry has finally caught up to his prescience.
Although Rolls-Royce teased the market with its 102EX all-electric Phantom prototype and the Vision Next 100 autonomous fantasy in 2011 and 2016, respectively, they were one-off proof of concepts as opposed to this latest EV that’s prepping for the assembly line. As Spectre is about to be put through its paces, which will involve being driven more than 1.5 million miles in varying conditions around the world, no specifics on performance specs, motor configuration, storage capacity or range are being released yet. One of the only details divulged so far is that it will be built on the same aluminum-spaceframe architecture used for the current Phantom, Cullinan and Ghost.
Rolls-Royce’s all-electric Spectre will soon begin more than 1.5 million miles of road testing.
Photo: Courtesy of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.
What has been disclosed, though, is the rather shocking news that the famed Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament will sit atop a completely electric lineup by 2030, the same timeline targeted by Bentley. According to Müller-Ötvös, “by then, Rolls-Royce will no longer be in the business of creating or selling any internal-combustion-engine motor cars.”
Summoning up the Spectre moniker for the battery-powered ride stays true to Rolls-Royce’s naming convention—one that invokes the supernatural and apparitional—with current models like the Phantom, Wraith and Ghost. “This name perfectly matches the extraordinary Rolls-Royce that we are announcing today,” Müller-Ötvös went on to note, calling it “a motor car that makes its presence felt before disappearing into a world inaccessible to all but the very few.”
The automaker has revealed that its entire model line will be completely electric by 2030.
Photo: Courtesy of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.
Interestingly, the same might be said for what end up being the very last gas-fueled examples to roll out of Goodwood, which will likely be seen only on concours lawns and in private collections. As for when Spectre will materialize in showrooms, we’re told to expect the fourth quarter of 2023.
Learn more about Robb Report’s 2022 Car of the Year at the event taking place in Napa Valley here and in Boca Raton here.
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