Rolls Royce Spectre EV made its world debut; launch next year

KUALA LUMPUR: After much teasing and speculations, Rolls Royce has finally pulled the wraps off its first-ever electric car, the Spectre. Dubbed as the ‘Ultra-Luxury Electric Super Coupé’, the EV is a two-door fastback inspired by the Phantom Coupe. It is the brand’s first move towards becoming all-electric by 2030.

Let’s dive deeper and get to know Rolls Royce’s first electric car in detail.

Unlike the other automakers which adopted a new design language for EVs, Rolls Royce kept things familiar. That means the Spectre appears like a pureblood Rolls Royce boasting the brand’s rich heritage combined with several EV-specific elements. 

The front profile of the EV is adorned with the widest RR grille housing 22 LEDs for soft illumination at night and the vanes angled for aero-efficiency. It carries the redesigned Spirit of Ecstasy ornament, which has also been aero-tuned. The Spectre has a drag coefficient value of just 0.25.

On the edges of the grille lies the iconic RR headlights and sleek daytime running lights. The Rolls Royce EV also features rear-hinged doors, 23-inch wheels (Rolls Royce first) with a triangular inner design, and vertical tail light elements.

Inside the ultra-luxurious cabin of the Rolls Royce Spectre, we can see an overall white theme combined with exquisite wood trims and leather upholstery. It can be highly personalised by opting for a customised theme based on the exterior shade. 

One of the most fascinating interior elements of the electric coupe is the Starlight Headliner under the roof, which also has a dazzling star-like effect on the door panels. The Starlight Doors incorporate 4,796 LEDs. Also, the dash ahead of the co-driver’s seat features the Spectre logo on a digital display and a star-studded pattern made up of more than 5,500 LEDs. 

Among the other key inclusions are a fully digital driver’s display (Rolls Royce first), new ‘Spirit’ digital software with connected car technology and an onboard voice assistant, named Eleanor.

The EV is based on the brand’s all-aluminium space frame platform, called Architecture of Luxury, which also underpins the Phantom, Ghost and Cullinan. The automaker confirms the EV is 30% stiffer than these models and features active suspension, and four-wheel steering.

No exact details about the powertrain are available yet as the EV is still in the final phase of testing. But if we look at the preliminary data, it is expected to get a 100kWh battery pack offering a driving range of 520 km on the WLTP cycle. The powertrain is likely to churn out 585 hp of maximum power and 900 Nm of peak torque, propelling the EV from zero to 100 kmph in 4.5 seconds.

“This is the start of a bold new chapter for our marque, our extraordinary clients and the luxury industry. For this reason, I believe Spectre is the most perfect product that Rolls-Royce has ever produced,” said Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

The Rolls-Royce Spectre will hit the roads towards the end of 2023.

Also read: The ultra-exclusive Rolls-Royce Boat Tail is coming