Tough testing for new electric Rolls-Royce Spectre as launch looms

LONDON: Rolls-Royce's all-electric Spectre coupé has now covered almost 2 million kilometres in what is claimed to be the toughest testing programme in the brand's 118-year history.

Available to order now, the flagship two-door Spectre is set to be launched later in 2023 with a sticker price of around £275,000 (RM1.5mil) in the UK.

Rolls-Royce said the electric car promises refinement and performance on a par with – if not superior to – its current combustion-powered models.

The company said the Spectre will be able to cover up to 520 kilometres on a fully charged battery, deliver 577hp and dash from 0 to 100kph in 4.4 seconds.

Rolls-Royce plans to phase out its signature V12 petrol engine and sell electric cars only from 2030 onwards. The Spectre bows in 11 years after a one-off electric based on the Phantom VII.

The firm said its testing programme is still far from over, and the Spectre is currently undergoing extreme hot weather tests in two locations in South Africa where temperatures can exceed 50 degrees Celsius.

More than 1,500 hours alone have already been spent on perfecting the car’s regenerative braking to ensure it feels effortless, Rolls-Royce claims.

Similarly, anti-roll stabilisation is being tuned to ensure on the marque’s hallmark ‘Magic Carpet Ride’ qualities, the maker says.

Testing began in the winter of 2021 at a facility in Arjeplog, Sweden, just 55 kilometres from the Arctic Circle where temperatures can sink to minus 40 degrees Celsius.

The Spectre is based on Rolls-Royce's bespoke aluminium space-frame, which was introduced first on the eighth-generation Phantom and since used on the Cullinan and Ghost.