Rolls-Royce to electrify complete range by 2030

    Rolls-Royce details plan to follow up 2023 Spectre coupé with EV versions of Phantom, Cullinan and Ghost.

    Published On Feb 06, 2022 08:00:00 AM

    12,352 Views

    Rolls-Royce Spectre Coupe EV prototype

    Rolls-Royce Spectre Coupe EV prototype used for representation.

    Listen to this Article

    Rolls-Royce had previously revealed that its first all-electric model, which is due to be introduced in 2023, will be Spectre Coupe, coming in as a replacement to the Rolls-Royce Wraith. Following the Spectre, Rolls-Royce has now announced that successors to the Cullinan SUV, Ghost saloon and Phantom limousine will also be all-electric models before IC engines are phased out by 2030.

    • Successors to Cullinan, Ghost and Phantom will be all-electric
    • No new combustion-engined models will be launched anymore
    • Rolls Royce’s current V12 engine will bow out in 2030

    Rolls-Royce 2030 electrification strategy

    Speaking to our sister publication Autocar UK in the wake of the announcement that Rolls-Royce sold more cars in 2021 than in any previous year in its 117-year history, CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos said it’s important that each model is replaced by an EV alternative as the firm progresses towards a pure-electric line-up by 2030.

    The British firm will refresh its current range in the coming years but won’t launch any more combustion models, making the Mk2 Ghost the final petrol-powered Rolls-Royce to be introduced.

    Muller-Otvos highlighted the UK government’s planned 2030 ban on new ICE car sales as a particular incentive, but said: “We aren’t only driven by legal; we’re also driven by our fairly young clientele worldwide, and we’re seeing more and more people asking actively for an electrified Rolls-Royce.”

    The age of the average Rolls-Royce buyer has dropped sharply in recent years to just 43, and Muller-Otvos notes that “quite a lot of our clients already own an electric car, be it a Tesla, a BMW or some other model”, and so have experience when it comes to operating EV chargers and range management.

    He wouldn’t be drawn on the technical details of Rolls-Royce’s future EVs beyond confirming that “the entire portfolio will be electrified”. The Spectre’s 150-million-mile testing programme will no doubt inform the development of its future range-mates, accelerating the lead time of each EV based on Goodwood’s Architecture of Luxury.

    Rolls-Royce EVs to be priced similarly as IC models

    Electrifying the entire portfolio, said Muller-Otvos, is “a huge task for a relatively small company”, but the required investment won’t automatically translate into more expensive cars. “We never price ‘cost-driven’, we price ‘segment-driven’ and ‘substance-driven’,” explained Muller-Otvos, emphasising that the Spectre – which will arrive in 2023, shortly after the similarly shaped Wraith bows out – will be priced according to its positioning rather than its powertrain.

    The future electric Phantom, therefore, won’t necessarily cost more than the current V12 petrol-engined car. A priority for the Phantom EV and its range-mates will be exhibiting characteristics that compensate for the loss of Rolls-Royce’s venerable V12, which will bow out in 2030. The firm’s electric powertrain will, therefore, be “very torquey”, promised Müller-Ötvös, and will allow for “waftability, silent movement, a magic carpet ride, utmost quality and so on.”

    Rolls-Royce in India

    Rolls-Royce currently has all of its five models on sale in India – the Wraith, Dawn, Ghost, Cullinan and the Phantom. Rolls-Royce is now set to bring the new Ghost Black Badge to India in the coming months. The launch was recently confirmed by Sangwook Lee, regional sales manager – Asia Pacific for Rolls-Royce.

    Are you excited about all-electric successors to the Cullinan, Ghost and the Phantom? Let us know in the comments below.

    Also See:

    Rolls-Royce registers its highest ever sales in 2021

    Copyright (c) Autocar UK. All rights reserved.

    Comments

    ×
    img

    No comments yet. Be the first to comment.

    Ask Autocar Anything about Car and Bike Buying and Maintenance Advices
    Need an expert opinion on your car and bike related queries?
    Ask Now

    Search By Car Price

    Poll of the month

    Buying an electric car but renting its battery: is it a good idea?

    Yes, it lets me pay only as per my usage

     

    34.40%

    No, I prefer to buy the whole car

     

    55.49%

    No, I prefer to lease the whole car

     

    10.11%

    Total Votes : 1276
    Sign up for our newsletter

    Get all the latest updates from the automobile universe