Electric Rolls pulls plug

It’s the car that’s too posh to plug in! Rolls-Royce has revealed its all-electric 102EX Phantom – and if it makes production, the firm’s demanding customers will be able to juice it up wirelessly.

Clever induction charging technology means drivers 
will simply have to park their 
limo over a special pad. This revives the 71kWh battery 
pack with no need for cables. 

A full charge will take eight hours, and give a range of 124 miles. But the Phantom’s green credentials don’t come at the expense of power – the twin 145kW electric motors deliver 386bhp and

800Nm of torque, compared to the standard 
V12’s 453bhp and 750Nm. 

This means 0-60mph in just under eight seconds and a limited top speed of 100mph. To set the car apart, the Spirit of Ecstasy badge is made not from stainless steel, but Makrolon – a specialist plastic – illuminated by blue LEDs. 

Rolls claims the aim of the car is to gauge customer reaction to electric power. Launching the 102EX at Geneva, CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös said the firm was exploring “alternative drivetrains for clarity on which technology may be suitable to drive future Rolls-Royces”. He emphasised that it “must deliver an authentic Rolls-Royce experience”. 

More will be revealed about the car when the firm completes its testing at the end of the year. 

© 2012 Dennis Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.
Licensed by Felden