Last year saw a cooling of demand for electric vehicles (EVs) globally, particularly towards the upper end of the price spectrum.
That wasn’t the case for Rolls-Royce though, with the BMW-owned luxury marque reporting strong demand for its first and only EV, the Spectre, leading to the debut of another this year.
Automotive News reports Rolls-Royce is set to invest £300 million ($591m) into its Goodwood, UK factory following strong sales of the battery-powered grand touring coupe, before another electric model joins its global lineup.
It represents the largest investment in the Goodwood facility since it opened in 2003. All Rolls-Royce models are currently made there.
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While Rolls-Royce wasn’t able to beat its 2023 record of 6032 sales in 2024 – recording 5712 sales – the new Spectre became its second best-seller, behind only the Cullinan SUV.
In Australia, Rolls-Royce sold 19 Spectres, 25 Cullinans and 10 Phantom/Ghost sedans (both models are combined in VFACTS sales reports).
The Spectre is the British marque’s first and so far only battery-electric model, sitting alongside the twin-turbo V12-powered Cullinan, Phantom and Ghost.
It’s not yet known what form the new Rolls-Royce EV will take, however, Automotive News speculates it’ll be an SUV, which is logical given the continuing high demand for high-riding vehicles.
If it borrows the philosophy of the Cullinan and Phantom, the new EV will be closely related under the skin to the Spectre.
The Spectre is powered by dual electric motors producing up to 430kW and 900Nm, pushing the circa-3000kg two-door from 0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds.
A huge 102kWh lithium-ion battery pack acts as a structural part of the Spectre, and helps deliver up to 530km of claimed driving range on the WLTP lab test cycle.
Rolls-Royce previously said its customers drive their vehicles for just 5100km a year on average.
The British marque plans to only sell EVs from 2030, five years before new petrol and diesel cars are banned from sale in Europe and the UK.
