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Rolls-Royce plans to swap its trademark high-powered gasoline engines for a fully-electric lineup beginning with its first EV model set to hit the market next year.
Over the next seven years, the BMW-owned
BMW,
British luxury brand will shift rapidly away from gasoline propulsion toward the “full electrification of our entire product portfolio by 2030,” said Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos in a statement.
“By then, Rolls-Royce will no longer be in the business of producing or selling any internal combustion engine products,” he said.
That target puts Rolls-Royce in line with former sibling Bentley, which is now owned by Volkswagen
VWAGY,
and has also said it will drop gasoline power by 2030. It’s worth noting Rolls-Royce, the car manufacturer, and Rolls-Royce, the aviation engine builder
RLLCF,
have been separate entities for 50 years.
Rolls-Royce’s automotive operations have long been known for strong gasoline engines, which the company markets as providing “adequate” power. For decades, Rolls-Royce did not officially quote power output.
Motivation is generally not a problem for electric cars, and neither is silent operation — another Rolls-Royce virtue.
Also read: How to custom-order a car from the factory
The first electric Rolls-Royce is currently under development using the name Spectre. The camouflaged development car is a 2-door coupe appearing to be a dead-ringer for the current Wraith. The automaker did not release any specifications for its upcoming electric powertrain, however.
This story originally ran on Autotrader.com.
