Rolls-Royce to enter EV segment, sets to introduce all-electric car this decade

Rolls-Royce is set to make a “historic announcement” tomorrow, which points toward the brand’s inevitable entry into the growing EV segment.

In a recent statement, Rolls-Royce CEO, Torsten Müller-Ötvös said, “in April 1900, our founding forefather Charles Rolls made a prescient prophecy about automotive electrification. Move forward over 120 years to when I made a public promise, on the record, that we would bring the first fully electric Rolls‑Royce to market within the current decade. And, right now, our company is embarking on a historic undertaking to create the first, super-luxury car of its type.”

According to Rolls-Royce, the automotive marque will introduce an all-electric car this decade, which will be a pure BEV and not a hybrid of any kind.

No details have been revealed about what the car is or what features will it offer. But a recent press release gives us an idea of what to expect.

Rolls-Royce has outlined the brand’s connection with electrification starting with its founding fathers Charles Rolls and Henry Royce and their close relations with the likes of Hendry Edmunds, E. A Claremont, and Claude Johnson.

The history of the brand’s early pursuit of electrification culminates with the release of Rolls-Royce’s upcoming production EV.

In 2011, the marque unveiled the Phantom Experimental Electric (EE). Codenamed 102EX, this EV is a fully operational and road-legal battery-electric version of the Rolls-Royce Phantom.

The Phantom EE was never intended for production but the upcoming announcement suggests that Rolls-Royce could be planning to release an updated version of the electrified Phantom.

And while we’re sure that the EV arrives this decade, the luxury carmaker is still taking its time stating that it “will be launched only when the time is right, and every element meets Rolls-Royce's technical, aesthetic, and performance standards.”

Said Müller-Ötvös, "In this ground-breaking endeavor, we are drawing on a remarkable heritage, unique in our industry. Our founders and those who worked alongside them in the marque's formative years were all-important pioneers of electric power, as well as their era's leading experts in automotive engineering. As we herald a new electric future at Rolls-Royce, I am proud and humbled to share their inspiring stories, which have never been told in one place before, and shine a fresh and fascinating light on our company's earliest days." 

Photos from Rolls-Royce

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