Rolls-Royce Will Take Its Sweet Time Building An Electric Car

While rival automakers such asBentley have already release plug-in hybrid models, Rolls-Royce is sticking with its commitment to the internal combustion engine. The luxury carmaker has expressed interest in electrification but the willskip right past hybrids and move into fully electric vehicles.

Speaking to CarAdvice, Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos said, electrification is inevitable but will only happen once the technology advances. Rolls-Royce vehicles are extremely heavy, so battery technology needs to improve in order to offer sufficient range for longer trips. What good is having one of the most luxurious cars in the world if your chauffeur can only drive you 200 miles before needing to charge up?

We've always believedRolls-Royce would be a top candidate to build an electric carbecause electric motors are smooth and quiet enough to replace a V12 engine. As it turns out, noise and refinement aren't a big concern for Rolls-Royce "because our V12s are already whisper quiet, so it's about emissions compliance so the cars can enter centers and other relevant public venues," Muller-Otvos explained.

If you can remember, Rolls-Royce has already experimented with the idea of an EV in the form of a概念车called the 102EX. "Just over four years ago we built up a fully electric Phantom and while the customers said it was great, many saw little or no difference to the V12 power we already offer, such was the level of engine refinement and insulation in the car. That's not to say we are still not working on our internal combustion engine, because in the latest Phantom 8 we have a new V12 engine and it's even quieter," Muller-Otvos said.