LONDON — Luxury carmaker Rolls-Royce has announced it has developed its first electric-powered vehicle, which will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show on March 1.
The English company will use the one-off Phantom 102EX to see how customers respond to a fully electric-powered car, and will take it on a tour of Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America.
“We have engineered the world’s first battery electric vehicle for the ultra-luxury segment,” CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos said in a statement.
“With this vehicle, we begin an exploration into alternative drivetrains, seeking clarity on which alternative technologies may be suitable to drive Rolls-Royce motor cars of the future.”
The company wants to ascertain how long the car can drive between chargings and how it operates in extreme weather conditions, but there are no plans yet to develop a production version.
“I must be convinced that any alternative drivetrain we choose … delivers an authentic Rolls-Royce experience,” Muller-Otvos said. “It must be a technology that is right for our customers, our brand and which sets us on a sound footing for a sustainable future.”
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is a division of German car company BMW and is no longer connected to aero engine maker Rolls-Royce PLC.
Agence France-Presse