Having recently launched their latest Rolls-Royce Ghost, it felt somewhat inevitable that the brand was leaning towards going full electric. Carmakers everywhere are indeed doing just that, as it seems inevitable we will one day soon see the end of the internal combustion engine-powered car, even in hybrid form. Autocar has reported on Rolls-Royce preparing a brand new high-profile luxury car that will propel it straight into the EV market, and the brand will skip over any form of hybrid to do just that.
Rolls-Royce EV Reveal Set For 2021
The report from Autocar states that Rolls-Royce is set to reveal their plans for the car later on this year. The car's design is very much a secret right now, but it might bear some similarities to the rather radical 103EX concept that Rolls-Royce showed off back in 2016. The evidence for an electric Rolls-Royce, however, is strong.
Autocar reports that a battery-powered Phantom does exist at BMW’s Munich research hub, which is the parent company now of Rolls-Royce. That itself offers quite a contrast between the two companies. BMW has invested relatively heavily in hybrid technology. However, Rolls-Royce looks set to completely skip over hybrid technology, of any kind, despite the brand's close alliance with BMW. The new EV looks to likely draw heavily on the driveline and battery technology of the iX from BMW.
Rolls-Royce "Silent Shadow" In The Works
The potential Rolls-Royce EV has been dubbed “Silent Shadow,” and this means that Rolls-Royce might well have reached the very peak of what they can do with their already ultra-powerful and ultra-quiet V16 engine. Rear-wheel and all-wheel-drive variants of Silent Shadow are rumored to be in the works, but of course, these are just rumors and this could very much change by the end of the year. What this may spawn following Silent Shadow is very interesting, with an electric Cullinan SUV surely to follow soon after, and many more of Rolls-Royce’s luxury cars probably set to follow in the same path.
Sources: Supercar Blondie, Auto Car