CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos reflects on the brand’s electric future, with ICE-powered models still to offer for several years.
February 12, 2023 at 3:56 a.m. ET
Rolls-Royce will usher in a new era of electric power for the brand with the upcoming launch of the Spectre. The Specter will be the first all-electric vehicle produced by Rolls-Royce, marking a significant change for the luxury carmaker. According to CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos in an interview with car magazine, all new Rolls-Royces will be electric by the end of 2030.
“We also made the decision that this car could not be made electric and combustion. The Specter is electric only. All future Rolls-Royces, the new ones, will be electric only keeping what Rolls-Royce stands for. This should be the maximum. Dynamic RR ever in history. And it is,” Muller-Otvos said in the interview.
Gallery: Rolls-Royce Specter 2023
48 Pictures
The 2023 Rolls-Royce Specter will have the typical Rolls-Royce proportions and appearance, but will be powered exclusively by electricity. The design and driving experience will remain true to the brand while incorporating the latest electric technology. This decision to only offer the Specter in an electric variant sets a precedent for all future Rolls-Royces, which will also be electric only.
However, Muller-Otvos confirmed that there will still be several years of combustion-engined Rolls-Royces available, including the Cullinan, Ghost and Phantom.
Muller-Otvos believes the transition to electric power will be easy for Rolls-Royce, as its vehicles are already known for their smooth, quiet and torquey driving experience. He also sees electric power as a good fit for the brand and its customers, who mostly live in city centers and use their vehicles for short trips.
The future of the Rolls-Royce brand is undoubtedly electric. The company has been working on electric vehicles for more than a decade and is now ready to launch its first all-electric vehicle, the Spectre. Although all future Rolls-Royces will be electric, the cars will still retain the luxury and driving experience the brand is known for.
More importantly, this transition to electric mobility is in line with the brand’s heritage, as the founders, Rolls and Royce, were both interested in new applications of electricity in vehicles.
