Rolls-Royce Spectre Completes Winter Testing - Super Coupe EV To Arrive In 2023

The Rolls-Royce Spectre is the marque's first-ever electric vehicle. The electric Spectre coupe's test vehicle was tested extensively at a bespoke facility in Arjeplog, Sweden.

The bespoke facility, which is located just 55 kilometres from the Arctic circle sees temperatures drop to -26 degrees centigrade. The temperatures at the facility are further cooled down to -40 degrees centigrade.

Speaking about the conclusion of the winter testing program for the Spectre, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars said, "The announcement of every new Rolls-Royce motor car carries a great weight of expectation, but Spectre is unquestionably the most anticipated product in the marque's modern history. This is because it is much more than a product. It is a symbol for our bright, bold electric future, and it represents a seismic shift in our powertrain technology. It is for this reason that we have created a testing programme that is as significant and historical as Spectre itself. The extraordinary undertaking of educating Spectre to think and behave like a Rolls-Royce will cover 2.5 million kilometres, which is a simulation of more than 400 years of use for a Rolls-Royce. Today, I can confirm that 25% of this journey is now complete, and the results have met our most ambitious expectations."

Speaking about the brand's first-ever EV and its electric powertrain architecture and the challenges faced in the switch to EV, Mihiar Ayoubi, Director of Engineering, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars stated, "Refining the all-electric drivetrain that underpins Spectre challenges the very definition of engineering. The departure from internal combustion engines allows us to significantly increase the processing power of our individual components and create a Decentralised Intelligence. We refer to this unprecedented era, where we benefit from a multi-control, multi-channel and highly interconnected electronic and electric powertrain architecture, as 'Rolls-Royce 3.0'. Our task is to teach each component and system how to think, behave and communicate like a Rolls-Royce, which sees much of the engineering pivot from workshops into the digital space. Here in Arjeplog we have built a significant foundation on which we will create a true Rolls-Royce. This is a big step forward for our brand, but also for electrification - even though Spectre is in its infancy, I can confirm that the technology is able to contain the Rolls-Royce experience."

The Rolls-Royce Spectre is the first-ever pure EV in the brand's rich century-plus history. Rolls-Royce had announced the luxury EV super coupe in September of 2021, dubbing the Spectre as the most important car in the marque's history since the 4th of May, 1904, when founders Charles Rolls and Sir Henry Royce agreed that they would create what they called "the best car in the world".

The first time Rolls-Royce showed off an electric vehicle was back in 2011 when it showed off the 102EX experimental prototype based on the previous generation Phantom. This was followed four years later by the futuristic 103EX concept.

However, the connection of the brand with EVs goes back even further. In 1900, the marque's founder Charles Rolls drove an electric vehicle called the Columbia.

After riding the EV, Rolls had stated, "The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean. There is no smell or vibration. They should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged". Rolls-Royce claims that the Spectre is the fulfilment of its founder's prophecy.

Thoughts On The Rolls Royce Spectre

The upcoming Rolls Royce Spectre sees the British luxury marque dive headlong into the world of electric cars. Considering that the Spectre is just a quarter of the way through its testing program, we expect the finished EV to live up to the luxury standards set by Rolls-Royce when it arrives late in 2023.