LONDON — Rolls-Royce will launch its first full-electric vehicle in 2023 on the way to shifting to selling only battery-powered cars after 2030.
The ultraluxury brand’s first EV will be the Spectre coupe, the BMW-owned company said in a statement on Wednesday.
The two-door car will be built on the same aluminum architecture that currently underpins all of the company’s models.
Rolls-Royce’s shift to EVs is the most significant moment in the company’s history since it was founded in 1904, CEO Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes said in the statement.
“Electric drive is uniquely and perfectly suited to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, more so than any other automotive brand,” he said. “It is silent, refined and creates torque almost instantly, going on to generate tremendous power.”
The Spectre “will be the first and finest super-luxury product of its type,” Mueller-Oetvoes said in the statement.
Wraith replacement
Pictures of a disguised prototype of the Spectre released by Rolls-Royce showed the coupe will have a sloping rear back in the manner of the now-discontinued Wraith coupe.
Its design suggests the electric Spectre will be a direct replacement for the Wraith, which was powered by a BMW-derived V-12 engine, like all of Rolls-Royce’s current lineup.
