The Rolls-Royce Spectre is the brand’s first production electric vehicle, and the first units will be reaching customers by the end of 2023.

It was only a matter of time before we’d see a production EV from the ultra-luxury brand. This is not the brand’s first taste of electrification either.Sir Henry Royce was interested in everything electrified and before getting into cars, his first company F.H. Royce and Company sold dynamos, electric crane motors and held the patent for the bayonet-style light bulb.

In April 1900 Charles Rolls had a go in a very early electric car called the Columbia and “declared its electric drive to be ideal”. When the two merged to form what’s arguably the most luxurious car brand in the world, electric power was put on the backburner.

The Rolls-Royce Spectre will be positioned between the Cullinan SUV and the flagship Phantom, and prices are yet to be announced. Still, being a Rolls-Royce, if you have to ask… Physically, the Spectre is a large vehicle, with a wheelbase of 3 2100 mm and tipping the scales at just under 3 tons.

There are very few technical details, other than a 700 kg battery pack that will give the Spectre a WLTP claimed range of 520 km. A simple guesstimate suggests a battery back of over 100 kWh.There are no details on the powertrain either, with outputs of 430 kW and 900 Nm being touted. Performance-wise, you’re looking at around 4.5 seconds to 100 kph.

In terms of design, it’s unmistakably Rolls-Royce, built for opulence and cruising, with that long bonnet, huge grille and suicide doors.Rolls-Royce says the Spectre features a trick Planar suspension that’s able to decouple the anti-roll bars to prevent discomfort on uneven surfaces. Adapative dampers and four-wheel steer are par for the course.

The cabin is what you’d expect from a Rolls-Royce and retains all the cool elements like the star headliner, which now extends to the doors, and the umbrella neatly located within the door. New for the Spectre is a digital display for the front passenger.

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