- The Rolls-Royce Spectre is proving popular and the fact that it’s an EV only adds to its appeal.
- Rolls-Royce buyers were more interested in the Spectre in 2024 than in the Cullinan, which is a combustion SUV.
- A second Rolls-Royce EV will be revealed sometime this year.
Long before Rolls-Royce launched its first electric vehicles, it was widely believed that electric power was a perfect fit for the brand in its quest to make cars with completely silent interiors that almost completely isolate you from the outside world. It seems they were right, and Rolls-Royce buyers had no trouble accepting the brand’s first EV, the Spectre, which proved very popular in its first full year on sale.
Rolls-Royce doesn’t break down its annual sales figure but says it sold 5,712 cars last year. However, the manufacturer added that the Spectre “was the most requested Rolls-Royce model in Europe last year and the second most demanded globally, with clients around the world confirming it amplifies the attributes for which the marque is most renowned: silence, ‘waftability’ and the unique ‘magic-carpet ride’ experience.”
We’re not completely sure what the difference between “most requested” and “most demanded” is in this context, but it’s clear that Rolls-Royce is trying to tell us that the Spectre had a great year. “Demanded” could mean market interest, orders and actual purchases, while “requested” might emphasize that it had a lot of inquiries about the model but not necessarily orders. Or they could have been used interchangeably to avoid repetition in the prose of the blurb.
Whatever the case may be, the fact that an electric coupe was a manufacturer’s second most popular vehicle globally shows just how good a fit electric power is for Rolls-Royce. When we tried the Spectre a few months ago, we discovered a Rolls-Royce that still had all the traditional qualities you expected from the brand but even more serenity inside with the complete absence of any engine noise.
It just felt so natural to be inside a Rolls-Royce that ran on electrons, and it showed that new technology and old-school craftsmanship can seamlessly meld. Look a little closer at the Spectre, and you discover that the infotainment is a reskinned version of an older BMW iDrive system, and since it’s built with BMW tech, it only has a 400-volt electric architecture, which limits its charging speed to 190 kilowatts.
It’s not particularly quick either, even with 584 horsepower from its dual-motor powertrain, and the power delivery feels gradual and far from the whiplash-inducing acceleration that some high-powered EVs can deliver—it accelerates from a standstill to sixty in 4.4 seconds. Even with 120 kilowatt-hours of battery capacity, the Spectre can’t muster more than 291 miles on one charge, according to the EPA, which is partially explained by its significant curb weight of 6,371 pounds.
But even though the Spectre is a completely new type of Rolls-Royce, it still exudes classic luxury and opulence, and its specs and figures seem unimportant. Interestingly, millionaires who could just as easily buy a Rolls-Royce with a powerful combustion engine and not give it a second thought are finding the fully electric Spectre more appealing because it’s electric.
This suggests that the transition from ICE to EVs may be a bit easier for Rolls-Royce than other luxury automakers most of which have announced they are backtracking on their previously announced plans to go electric. Rolls-Royce has announced that it will reveal its second fully electric vehicle sometime this year, but it has so far not shared any additional details.
