Move over Tesla because Rolls-Royce has entered the party. That's right - the luxury car brand announced that it's officially joining the electric car game. Here's everything we know so far about their newest model.
Charles Stewart Rolls, the co-founder of the famous automobile maker, tried an electric car called the Columbia before opening his own company over a century ago. "The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean," he is reported to have said at the time. "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 they will be very serviceable - at least for many years to come."
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Well, it looks like the time has finally arrived, as the England-based business is gearing up to release its first electric model: Spectre. "Rolls-Royce has always sought names that are ethereal and otherworldly for its most authoritative and powerful cars," their official website explains of the new car's name. "Eery names like Ghost, Phantom, Wraith, Shadow and Spirit have, over the years, developed a unique nomenclature that sets Rolls-Royce apart, as an untouchable, almost unattainable rarity."
"Spectre encapsulates this... to perfection," the description continues. "It evokes an omen or portent of greater magnitude - it presages a fundamental change in our familiar earthly matrix. Rolls-Royce, the most revered and historic name in the history of luxury and automotive endeavor, is imminently about to introduce an electric car." So what will the groundbreaking model include?
The company has only released a few images of the prototype, with most of it covered in descriptive words. But from what we can tell, the beauty is a coupe with rear-hinged doors. While we have yet to learn the ins and outs of the model's powertrain, CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos previously said that the electric car would have to have at least the same performance standard as their existing V-12 models.
And this is just the beginning: the company plans on going full-electric by 2030. "With this new product, we set our credentials for the full electrification of our entire product portfolio by 2030," said Torsten Muller-Otvos. "By then, Rolls-Royce will no longer be in the business of producing or selling any internal combustion engine products."
Check out more details for yourself on the luxury brand's official website.