Rolls-Royce boldly skips hybrids and goes all-electric with new EV lineup


Rolls-Royce is developing a new electric vehicle lineup and is using an electrified Phantom as a test-bed for its future vehicles.

In an article published earlier today, Autocar revealed that Rolls’ parent firm, BMW, is using an all electric version of its Phantom luxury vehicle as part of its development process for new EVs.

Rumors of Rolls-Royce’s pivot to electric drivetrains have been mounting for a while. The discovery that the company already has a working EV test-bed shows that its plans are now starting to come to life.

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Last year, BMW filed a patent for the name Silent Shadow, a play on the name of the luxury car brands’ Silver Shadow vehicle that was produced between 1965 and 1980.

Given EVs are virtually silent in operation, many thought this patent was the first real nod that Rolls was starting to shape its electric future.

What’s more, unlike brands like Maserati, Rolls-Royce is totally skipping hybrid drivetrains and going straight to all-electric. In an interview, Rolls-Royce’s CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös confirmed the company would skip trying to develop hybrid tech, suggesting the reason was that it’s not big enough to benefit from what looks to be a stepping stone to all-electric technology.

Credit: Autocar