Rolls-Royce to unveil electric car next month

Afp
Monday 21 February 2011 01:00 GMT
Comments

Luxury car maker Rolls-Royce announced Sunday it had 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," chief executive Torsten Muller-Otvos said in a statement.

"With this vehicle, we begin an exploration into alternative drive-trains, 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 re-charges 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 drive-train we choose for the future 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.

an-ar/boc

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in