Rolls-Royce has confirmed that an electric Phantom will be developed as the luxury brand goes electric in the next decade. According to company CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös, going electric is the "right way forward for the brand".
Talking to Autocar India, Müller-Ötvös said the platform of its all-new flagship, the Phantom, is built to support electric vehicles. "The architecture of the new Phantom already copes for the electric requirement and is capable of delivering a full-electric drivetrain in the next decade," he said. In fact, he suggested that other Rolls-Royce models could also be electrified.
"The push for electric is driven by many factors, one of them being that city centres might be out of bounds for combustion engines. And, of course, one would like to still drive a Phantom into the city centres. So, for that reason, we will offer Phantoms and Rolls-Royces with electric drivetrains."
An electric powertrain would fit very well with the brand's characteristics as they are known to be silent, and noise insulation is synonymous with the Rolls-Royce brand. In fact, Rolls-Royce calls the new Phantom ‘the most silent motor car in the world’ and has fitted the vehicle with more than 130kg of sound insulation.
Cullinan SUV deliveries to begin in January 2019
Unveiled earlier this year, all-new eighth-generation Phantom is the first model to underpin the company's bespoke aluminium spaceframe architecture. Rolls-Royce’s upcoming SUV, Project Cullinan, will also be based on the same platform.
The British luxury car manufacturer will begin global delivery of the SUV by January 2019, exactly one year after first customers take delivery of the Phantom.
"Project Cullinan is well on track and we’ll stick to the timeline. I've said that Cullinan will follow a year after the Phantom. The first Cullinans will be showcased to the global media this time next year and will see first customers in the beginning of January 2019," Müller-Ötvös said.
Dubbed an ‘all-terrain, high-sided vehicle’ by Rolls-Royce, the SUV has been spotted testing at Nürburgring and is likely to be powered by a developed version of the Phantom’s 6.8-litre V12 engine.
Also read:
2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom review, test drive
2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom: Behind the scenes
Rolls-Royce's first AWD Cullinan coming in 2018