Rolls-Royce To Make “Historic” Announcement On Electrification On September 29

Rolls-Royce is getting ready for a “historic announcement” on electrification, namedropping the company’s “heritage of electric power”. The announcement is scheduled for September 29 at 1.00 pm BST (8.00 am EST) and will most likely be associated with Rolls-Royce’s upcoming EV model, which according to some reports could be called the Silent Shadow.

A production-ready fully-electric Rolls Royce could borrow technology from the upcoming BMW i7, combining it with bespoke design, premium materials, and the signature flying carpet ride.

Back in 2020, Rolls Royce CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös made a promise that the first fully electric Rolls-Royce would reach the market within the current decade. Rolls-Royce has opted to go fully electric instead of using hybrid technology but wanted to reveal its first EV only when the time is right. To date, we have seen two fully electric Rolls-Royce concept cars.

The Phantom-based 102EX unveiled in 2011 was not intended for production but was fully functional and street legal. It used a lithium-ion battery pack and two electric motors producing a combined 389 hp (290 kW/ 394 PS) and 800 Nm (590 ft-lb) of torque. Rolls-Royce states that the electric Phantom had limited battery life, long charging cycles, and a three-year battery life, which would need to be addressed before being available into the market.

The next step was the 103EX which appeared in 2016 as a futuristic design study communicating Rolls-Royce’s long-term vision of luxury mobility. The prototype was fully electric and fully autonomous, with a “Grand Sanctuary” cabin and advanced artificial intelligence. After its reveal, the 103EX embarked on a three-year world tour before returning to Goodwood, England.

Back in 1900, Charles Rolls had made a “prophecy” about automotive electrification in one of his interviews, showing his enthusiasm for electricity. It is claimed that he even considered using electric power instead of internal combustion engines in his cars. However, despite the advantages of “silent operation, instant torque, tremendous power and the absence of exhaust fumes,” electric power lost the battle to the internal combustion engine due to the “extremely limited range and the absence of a charging infrastructure”.

On the other hand, Henry Royce was one of the world’s first electrical engineers. His enterprise F H Royce & Co started from small electrical appliances and gradually moved to manufacturing more complex devices including electric motors. The press release also mentions the contributions of engineer Henry Edmunds, first Chairman of Rolls-Royce Limited E A Claremont, and salesman Claude Johnson.

It is rumored that the all-new Rolls-Royce EV could potentially replace the Dawn and the Wraith, but it could also be a standalone model showing the future of the brand.