Rolls-Royce has revealed its first battery-powered vehicle as part of ambitions to take its fleet fully-electrified within a decade.
The BMW-owned car maker said deliveries of the Spectre would start by the end of 2023.
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, chief executive of Rolls-Royce, described the car as “fulfilling a prophecy” made by one of the company’s founders, Charles Rolls, more than a century ago.
“[Mr Rolls] said the ‘electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean, there is no smell or vibration. But for now I do not anticipate they will be very serviceable – at least for many years to come’,” he said.
“Charles Rolls’ prophecy has been the subject of constant consideration, but we have not been satisfied the available technology could support the Rolls-Royce experience – until now. Now is the time to change the course of future luxury.”
The car maker has revealed few details about its latest vehicle.
Mr Müller-Ötvös said it would be within the £250,000 to £500,000 range of its vehicle line-up and will be “very profitable for us, and we want to retain that profitability as we go electric”.
A decade ago, Rolls unveiled a demonstrator electric car at the Geneva motor show. Called the 120EX and based on the Phantom, the largest car in the range, it had a range of just 124 miles.
The cost of battery technology at the time meant it would be twice as expensive as a conventional model, the company said.
“Teaser” images released with the announcement indicate that the car is a “fastback” coupe-style car, but the Rolls boss refused to give any technical details, even as broad as how many seats it would have.
Mr Müller-Ötvös described the Spectre as “brand new car, not a successor to any model. This is a new car that will be an emotional statement that is the stepping stone into the next chapter of Rolls becoming fully electric”.
