Summary
- Rolls-Royce has a long history with electric vehicles, with founder Charles Rolls acquiring an electric car over 120 years ago and praising its power, silence, and cleanliness.
- The Spectre, Rolls-Royce's first EV, stays true to the brand's luxury and design aesthetic, featuring an illuminated Pantheon grille, upgraded Starlight feature, and a redesigned Spirit of Ecstasy.
- Despite concerns about charging infrastructure, Rolls-Royce is confident that most Spectre owners will primarily charge their cars at home and won't be heavily reliant on public charging stations. The car's range of 320 miles is more than enough for typical luxury lifestyle itineraries.
There’s no denying that the Spectre has been a long awaited model from Rolls-Royce as the industry goes electric. We’ve all been curious about how the world's leader in luxury would approach the electrification process, but unlike other manufacturers, Rolls-Royce already had a taste of what it would be like to power a car with a battery.
Over 120 years ago, Charles Rolls acquired an electric car of his own (a Columbia Electric) and praised electric vehicles for being “perfectly noiseless and clean,” adding that they “should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged.” Providing power, silence, and cleanliness, electric motors have always made perfect sense for the Roll-Royce brand. A century after Charles Rolls’ endorsement of EVs, Rolls-Royce revealed the Spectre, calling its creation a “prophecy fulfilled.”
Rolls-Royce recently unveiled the new electric coupé for the Asia-Pacific region, and we had the opportunity to take a closer look at the marque’s first EV during its Japan launch, held here in Tokyo. From the illuminated Pantheon grille to the completely upgraded Starlight feature, and even a new Spirit of Ecstasy, the things that make the Spectre a Rolls-Royce are the ones that caught our attention.
If it wasn’t for the charging port at the back, we could almost mistake the Spectre for a gas engine (ICE) model. As Rolls-Royce’s ex-Chief Executive Officer Torsten Müller-Ötvös said, “Spectre is a Rolls-Royce first and an electric car second,” and the more you understand the thinking behind the Spectre, the more this statement makes sense.
More Rolls-Royce, Less EV: Some Key Takeaways About The Spectre
Before we get started, here are a few things you should know about the Spectre: For their very first EV, Rolls-Royce opted for a four-seater coupé, but this is not some upgraded Wraith. The Spectre shares its all-aluminum “Architecture of Luxury” platform with the Cullinan, the Ghost and the Phantom; a platform so versatile that it can adapt to both petrol and electric models. In its dimensions, the Spectre is not far off from the Ghost: The bog two-door's 214.7-inch length is only about three inches shorter than the luxury sedan.
Since EVs do not require a front grille, some manufacturers often tend to get rid of it (think Tesla), but Rolls-Royce went in the opposite direction. Instead of simplifying the grille or removing it, Rolls-Royce gave the Spectre the widest Pantheon grille ever fitted to one of its cars. The Spectre’s front grille takes on new decorative and aerodynamic duties, thanks to smoother, flusher vanes that are now illuminated.
Overlooking the grille is a redesigned Spirit of Ecstasy, which is the product of 830 hours of work to make the iconic figurine more aero-tuned. The Spectre keeps a large bonnet and a fastback silhouette; design traits that are reminiscent of previous petrol-powered Rolls-Royces.
Inside the Spectre, the most distinct new feature you’ll notice is the new Starlight Door, adding 4,796 illuminated "stars" to complement the iconic Rolls-Royce Starlight headliner. The manufacturer did add digital screens throughout the dashboard, but did not go overboard and kept many physical buttons and controls on the center console for a touch of elegance.
When it comes to the EV aspect of the vehicle, the Spectre hosts a 102kWh (ethically sourced) lithium-ion battery and a dual-motor powertrain, producing a total of 577hp and 664-lbs.ft. of torque. The car’s electric drive it car to be even quieter, especially as the battery also acts as 700 kg of additional acoustic insulation—a function that helps enhance the “magic carpet ride” experience. In short, future Spectre owners will be able to enjoy all things Rolls-Royce with the added benefit of driving electric.
What Customers Look For In A Rolls-Royce: Bespoke Luxury
We sat down with Asia-Pacific (APAC) Regional Director Ms. Irene Nikkein to understand what clients look for in a Rolls-Royce; something that has more to do with the appreciation of a luxury product rather than the nature of a model’s powertrain.
There's a reason why launching the Spectre here in Tokyo matters. Japan isn’t as big a market as China or North America, and the country still stands far behind when it comes to the integration of EVs in their market. However, Japan’s strength lies in its deep understanding of luxury. It is also one of the APAC region’s key markets, and one that Irene happens to know very well.
Based in Singapore where she overlooks the 12 APAC countries, Irene explained that Japan has been one of Rolls-Royce’s long-standing markets: “I’ve always had this affinity for Japan,” she told us. Irene previously lived and worked here for five years with MINI, which gave her the opportunity to get well acquainted with the Japanese customer: “[Japanese clients] have a very sophisticated appreciation of anything that is good quality, great craftsmanship, attention to detail,” she explained.
Hence the Japanese clientele’s appreciation for a brand like Rolls-Royce that embodies all such qualities.
We all desire to drive a vehicle for a variety of reasons, but the notion of prestige is one that is definitely associated with driving a luxury car. It’s also an idea that Asian customers are getting more and more familiar with. As Rolls-Royce welcomes a new, younger generation of clients, Irene pointed out the cultural shift that is happening within young and wealthy Asians: “They are more willing to spend, they are more willing to be proud of their achievements.”
In general, Japanese and Asian cultures differ from Western cultures by leaning towards a group-oriented identity instead of an individual-oriented one. Yet, unlike older generations that would refrain from showing off their status and wealth to others, this mindset is shifting in younger generations. It’s a gradual process, but the idea of indulging in a Rolls-Royce model is something that more clients seem to be doing in this part of the world.
Irene also adds that, “Japanese customers are evolving. They are becoming bolder.” It’s something that she has been able to observe over the past few years, as buyers bespoke their cars with a more daring approach than before. For example, women often tend to have interesting stories around their Rolls-Royce commissions, and it is not uncommon to hear about women who wish to bespoke their cars to match it to their Hermès Birkin bag. And we very much expect the same to happen to the Spectre.
No Obstacles For The Rolls-Royce EV
With the Spectre, future owners will be able to appreciate the same levels of bespoke luxury as they would with other Rolls-Royce models. However, could the work-in-progress charging infrastructure make customers shy away from the Spectre? The Spectre’s 102 kWh battery would take quite a bit of time to charge and in many countries including Japan, the charging infrastructure may be good, but it isn’t there yet. We asked Irene Nikkein about Rolls-Royce’s approach to the charging process: "The concern is definitely understood,” she replied, adding that “we don't see a major problem at this stage.”
In most cases, the Rolls-Royce Spectre owner will be charging their car at home. “[Rolls-Royce customers] are not individuals who will spend much time charging [the Spectre] on public chargers,” explained Irene. “They are people who are well traveled and enjoy their second or third homes, and luxury resorts. Which means that the locations they go to should have adequate charging facilities."
The Spectre’s 320-mile range, which is good in any EV segmnent, turns out to be more than enough for the Rolls-Royce customer for popular itineraries such as Tokyo-Karuizawa (110 miles) or Tokyo-Hakone (62 miles)—two well-known locations for second homes here in Japan. In addition, most Spectre owners will have several other cars in their garage to choose from.
In a nutshell, Rolls-Royce customers are pretty much immune to charging concerns that the average EV owner may have. This makes having to choose from almost infinite possibilities of customization the only thing they would need to worry about, as they create a Rolls-Royce Spectre in their image.