Rolls-Royce ‘Spectre’: introducing the first all-electric Roller

Since the fuel crisis sparked panic buying of petrol there’s been a “massive surge” in demand for electric cars in the UK, according to Auto Trader. Ian Plummer, commercial director at the car sales website, said the launch of “cool” and “aspirational” models has shifted the consumer perception of electric vehicles and people aren’t “simply flirting with the idea of electric but have been encouraged to actively pursue a purchase”. 

If it’s a “cool” and “aspirational” EV you’re after, then maybe a Roller would fit the bill? Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is “entering the age of electric” and the super-luxe auto maker has today revealed details of its much anticipated first pure electric car, Forbes said. Called “Spectre”, on-road testing for the new car is imminent and the finished product will come to market in Q4 2023. 

The words covering the car are quotes from company founder Charles Rolls, which include a prescient statement he made in 1900, Driving.co.uk reported. “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.”

Describing it as a “seminal moment” for the marque, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös said the Spectre will be an “extraordinary new product” that will elevate the global all-electric car revolution and create the first - and finest - super-luxury product of its type. “This is not a prototype,” he added. “It’s the real thing, it will be tested in plain sight and our clients will take first deliveries of the car in the fourth quarter of 2023.” Global testing will cover 2.5m kilometres - a simulation of 400 years of use, Rolls-Royce said in a statement. 

As well as revealing the first pictures and details of the new zero-emissions Spectre, the marque also pledged to phase out combustion engines and announced that its entire line-up will be fully electric by 2030. “We embark on this bold new future with a huge advantage,” said Müller-Ötvös. “Electric drive is uniquely and perfectly suited to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, 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’.”

Rolls-Royce hasn’t released much information about the Spectre’s price tag yet, said Car and Driver. However, expect to see “classic Rolls-Royce features and options on the new coupe, including a series of highly-customisable packages offered through the company’s Bespoke design service”. The current petrol Wraith coupe costs from £260,000 and the Spectre is “likely to be more expensive”, said ThisIsMoney. Buyers keen to take advantage of Rolls-Royce’s customisation are “potentially knocking on the door of £1m”.