With the aim of abandoning combustion engines by 2030, Rolls-Royce “accelerates” its electrification. The first step of this project has already been taken, with the British brand revealing the first images of an unprecedented 100% electric model which it will call Rolls-Royce Specter EV (and not Silent Shadow as one came to think).
Also contrary to some rumors, Rolls-Royce has confirmed that its first electric model will not use the BMW CLAR platform (used by the BMW i4 and iX), but rather the Architecture of Luxury, the same modular aluminum platform developed and used only by itself, already seen in Phantom, Ghost and Cullinan.
According to the executive director of the brand, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, "free from any platform sharing strategy in the group, Rolls-Royce was able to create a platform capable of housing an electric motor". Basically, Rolls-Royce has created a multi-energy platform that can host the V12 that animates the brand's models, as well as electric motors.
pushed to the limit
While not revealing any details regarding the mechanics of the Rolls-Royce Specter EV, Torsten Müller-Ötvös said: “This change requires us to test every aspect of the product to the limit before offering it to the world's most demanding customers, our customers".
To do this, Torsten Müller-Ötvös revealed that the brand has created the most demanding testing program in its history. How demanding? Well, the prototypes will travel 2.5 million kilometers (or the equivalent, on average, of using a Rolls-Royce for 400 years), being shipped to the four corners of the world.
As for the design, and despite the abundant camouflage, the first prototype revealed doesn't hide the similarities with the Rolls-Royce Wraith, with Torsten Müller-Ötvös saying that the prototypes that will start rolling in the demanding test program will already be very close to the model that we will see arriving in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Finally, the executive director of Rolls-Royce also justified the choice of the Specter designation, explaining that it fits the “ethereal aura” that characterizes the designations used by many of the brand's models (Ghost, Phantom and Wraith).