Introducing the First Fully Electric Rolls-Royce Spectre

The electric Rolls-Royce Spectre has finally arrived, ushering the automaker into a new era as it builds momentum toward its goal of a fully electric portfolio by 2030.

Rolls-Royce is entering its electric era like it does any other party—in style and with an undeniable presence. The two-door Spectre replaces the imposing Phantom coupe and will apparently slide into that role easily.

The initial design of the Rolls-Royce Spectre was inspired by modern yacht concepts. This EV features the widest grille fitted to a Rolls-Royce, illuminated by 22 LEDs, and features several aerodynamic optimizations compared to the grille on other Rolls-Royces.

The swept, sportback profile and larger-than-life proportions required the design team to include huge 23-inch wheels, making it the first production two-door coupe in about a hundred years to sport such large rollers. The rear-hinged doors provide a sneak peek into the cabin, where the new Starlight Doors match the Starlight headliner to give an ethereal, celestial feel to the interior. As always, owners can customize their Rolls-Royce, and there are even more areas to apply one’s personal touch in the car.

The Rolls-Royce Spectre rides on the same platform as the Phantom, Cullinan, Ghost, and Coachbuild projects, featuring an all-aluminum space frame architecture. Due to the integration of the battery into the architecture, the vehicle is 30 per cent stiffer than previous Rolls-Royces. This ensures a sharp response. The battery is placed low and between the sills, enabling a low and smooth floor. The automaker says the big battery even acts as insulation, providing 700 kilograms of sound deadening.

Expect that battery to deliver about 420 kilometres of range, which sounds fair considering the coupe’s size and weight. Performance matches that of the brand’s sportiest car, the Ghost Black Badge. The electric motors put out a combined 577 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque, which allows for a 0–100-kilometre-an-hour sprint time of 4.5 seconds.

One of the defining parts of any Rolls-Royce is the smooth ride, and new technology in the Spectre should help ensure this coupe is smoother than anything else out there. A new suspension setup can disconnect the roll bars, allowing each wheel to ride independently from the other and reduce the side-to-side sway and roll that can happen in some large cars when they hit a pothole or imperfection in the road. The Spectre can quickly reconnect the roll bars to ensure the vehicle is responsive and smooth when cornering.

With the first all-electric Rolls-Royce, the automaker spared no effort testing and ensuring it makes a perfect first impression. It test drove the car on 2.5 million kilometres of proving grounds and real-world roads around the world, helping to refine this pioneer for the marque.

It seems hard to believe, but Charles Rolls, co-founder of Rolls-Royce, imagined EVs would be the perfect fit for the automobile back in 1900. “The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean,” he said. “There is no smell or vibration. They should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged.”

Today, over 120 years later, the automaker is making good on his vision, with CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös saying, “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.”

Available for commission today, the car should be on our roads in a year or so.