Rolls-Royce is to unveil an electric version of its Phantom at next month’s Geneva motor show. This car will be a test car and not go into production for the time being, the aim for Rolls-Royce is to gauge customers opinions. The Phantom Electric car, code named EXP 102, will make its first public appearance in Geneva then do a world tour visiting Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
There have been reports about Rolls-Royce developing an all-electric version of its Phantom luxury sedan for several years now, the latest with newly appointed CEO Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes admitting such a car would be good idea.
Torsten Muller-Otvos said the firm was “seeking clarity on which alternative technologies may be suitable in our cars in the future. I must be convinced that any alternative drive-train we choose for the future delivers an authentic Rolls-Royce experience. This will serve as a test bed to gather a bank of research data which will be crucial in informing future decisions on alternative drive-trains.”
This is the first electric car for the ultra luxury market and could set the way for others. The Phantom Electric car can be recharged from a domestic electric power plug, and it will produce zero emissions.
The fuel powered Phantom costs £300,000 and can do around 15 miles to the gallon, the experimental electric Phantom costs just 2p per mile to run, but its cost is likely to be closer to £1 million.
There will be public test drives, to demonstrate to potential customers in the luxury segment, where Rolls-Royce will take feedback on their experiences, thoughts and concerns. Some aspects Rolls-Royce will be focusing on include acceptable range between re-charges and operation in extreme weather conditions.
More details will follow after the launch of the Phantom Electric 102EX’s at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, which kicks off on March 1.
