Rolls-Royce’s 2024 Spectre is its first-ever all-electric car

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Rolls-Royce mid-October unveiled the Spectre, its first fully-electric vehicle. The car is now available for order, with the first ones expected for delivery near the end of 2023. It’s the first Rolls-Royce engineered from the ground up to run solely on battery power, and part of the automaker’s plans to go all-electric by 2030.

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“This is the start of a bold new chapter for our marque, our extraordinary clients and the luxury industry,” said Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. “For this reason, I believe Spectre is the most perfect product that Rolls-Royce has ever produced.”

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While final specs and figures are still being worked out, preliminary numbers show that the two-door four-seater car will have some 577 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque. It will weigh 2,975 kg (6,559 lbs) but will still get from zero to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds.

Pricing hasn’t been announced, but the automaker said it will be “positioned between Cullinan and Phantom.” In Canada, that means a starting price somewhere between $441,325 and $581,750, but that is just a start. As with all Rolls-Royces, buyers can customize the cars with almost anything they desire, from the material on the seats to exclusive patterns for the interior lights.

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The Spectre’s styling cues include Rolls-Royce’s widest-ever grille, illuminated and with smooth and flush-fit vanes for aerodynamics; a “fastback” rear which helps to achieve the car’s 0.25 coefficient of drag; colourless taillight housings, so buyers can choose their own shades; 23-inch wheels; new front seat design; and “Starlight” headliner and door panels, which use 4,796 LEDs to give the impression of the night sky. The Spirit of Ecstasy hood mascot has also been redesigned to make her more wind-slippery.

The car’s structure is aluminum, and with the battery incorporated, it is 30 per cent stiffer than any previous Rolls-Royce. Wiring and climate control components are between the floor and the battery for more cabin space. The car features four-wheel steering, automatically-decoupling anti-roll bars to prevent undulation on rough roads, and 18 sensors that monitor the steering, suspension and power delivery for a smooth ride. Rolls-Royce said that commissions for the car – because you never just go in and buy one off the shelf – are being taken now.