The number of the super-rich is growing steadily. In 2021 there was, according to Forbes 2,755 billionaires worldwidefollowed by around 20 million people who have one investable assets of one million euros or more – including many start-up founders from China and California. Real estate agents, rappers and computer game developers also like to display their wealth in public. And that traditionally works particularly well with a luxury limousine. Rolls-Royce is no longer the symbol of the old money aristocracy, but a relatively young brand that, according to their own statements, is mentioned most often by all car companies in pop songs.
In the future, Emily, the winged hood ornament, will appear more often in music videos. Because the twelve-cylinder engine gives way to an emission-free battery drive. “Electrification is a perfect match for Rolls-Royce – it’s high-torque, it’s super-quiet,” says Rolls-Royce boss Torsten Müller-Ötvös. “We’re not known for loud engines, that’s a big advantage.”
The British brand has been showing electrical studies for years, but series production will not begin until the end of 2023. By then, the most complex test program in Rolls-Royce’s history is to be unwound over 2.5 million kilometers. “It is important for us that we use sophisticated technology. Because our customers do not want to experiment in this segment,” said the brand boss.
The first battery-powered Rolls-Royce is called like a James Bond film from 2015: Specter. The new model, over five meters long, will be a Fastback Coupé with a low roof line. The first photos of heavily camouflaged prototypes are reminiscent of the Wraith from the front, but still hide the gently sloping hatchback.
The luxury electric car will use the drive platform of the new BMW 7 Series (2022) – like the BMW i4 with one motor on each axle and the top version with more than 600 hp. However, the legendary RR twelve-cylinder will not be finally phased out until 2030. Then all models are to become electric gliders. Since the vehicles are more likely to be used on short and medium-haul routes anyway, a range of 500 kilometers is sufficient in everyday life.
Electrification is not a fig leaf, emphasizes Torsten Müller-Ötvös: “Electromobility is increasingly becoming a trend in this segment too. Younger customers in particular are keeping an eye on it.” With an average of around 5000 kilometers per year, the mileage in a RR is negligible in terms of the climate. But many of the customers already have a charging station at home or at work. And quite a few already drive a Tesla Stromer. Precisely because they could be enthusiastic about technology. “It is also to be expected that more and more inner cities will be closed to internal combustion engines. Rolls-Royce is a vehicle that you use on special occasions, be it a visit to a restaurant or a trip to the opera,” says the brand boss. And a grand arrival, i.e. opening the doors with liveries and getting out with a confident smile, would not be possible in the long term without electrification.