Skip advert
Advertisement

Rolls-Royce boss says plug-in hybrid tech ‘essential’

Brit luxury marque won't let failure of all-electric 100EX Phantom stop it developing a zero-emission model

Electric Rolls Royce Phantom 102EX

Despite experimenting with an all-electric concept a few years ago, Rolls-Royce now looks likely to adopt plug-in hybrid technology within the next three years.

Boss of the brand Torsten Müller-Otvos told Auto Express on the firm's Geneva show stand that “It will be essential in two years, maybe not from customer demand but through legal regulation on emissions”

Advertisement - Article continues below

Explaining why the electric 100EX Phantom never took off, he said “We showed that car to around 100 customers around world, and the reaction we got was ambivalent.” He told us, continuing “A Rolls-Royce cannot come with any kind of compromise, and both the recharging times and the range were not acceptable for our buyers – but with hybrid technology that is no longer a problem.”

With parent company BMW already working on plug-in hybrid technology that is soon to be launched on the X5 eDrive – which uses a four-cylinder turbo paired with an electric motor – Rolls-Royce could soon have access to such a powetrain.

Müller-Otvos said: “We are now a completely self-sustaining business, but technology like this is so expensive to develop that without BMW, Rolls-Royce would probably not have survived.”

When asked whether the next-generation Phantom would increase in price to around £450,000 to reflect the increased cost of this kind of technology, he told us: “It is never a question of not having enough to afford a Rolls-Royce, but our customers are shrewd business people, and they want to know what they are getting for their money. For that reason I think for the next car we will stay in the same position in the market – which has been so successful for us so far.”

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

"BYD, Dacia, MG and Renault are among the most impressive and in-touch car brands in the world"
Opinion - MG3
Opinion

"BYD, Dacia, MG and Renault are among the most impressive and in-touch car brands in the world"

Mike Rutherford is confused as to why so many car manufacturers avoided the 2024 Geneva Motor Show
3 Mar 2024
BMW Isetta-inspired Microlino EV coming to the UK, and we’ve driven it!
Microlino Lite - Geneva front
News

BMW Isetta-inspired Microlino EV coming to the UK, and we’ve driven it!

The tiny Microlino and the new Microlino Lite electric cars have been given the green light for UK sales
1 Mar 2024
New £20m Rolls-Royce Arcadia Droptail is the ultimate in opulence
Rolls Royce Arcadia - front static
News

New £20m Rolls-Royce Arcadia Droptail is the ultimate in opulence

Arcadia is the third model in Rolls-Royce’s exclusive Droptail commission, and it doesn’t come cheap
29 Feb 2024
New Renault 5: price, specs, launch and on sale dates
Renault 5 - front
News

New Renault 5: price, specs, launch and on sale dates

The much-loved Renault 5 is back in action as a brand new electric car. Here's everything you need to know about it...
28 Feb 2024

Most Popular

“MG is easily outselling Jaguar, Land Rover and Bentley combined”
Opinion - MG4
Opinion

“MG is easily outselling Jaguar, Land Rover and Bentley combined”

The wave of Chinese cars has arrived in the UK, and Mike Rutherford thinks it’s not about to stop any time soon
17 Mar 2024
Car Deal of the Day: breathtaking Lotus Emira V6 for £45k and an I.O.U.
Lotus Emira - driving
News

Car Deal of the Day: breathtaking Lotus Emira V6 for £45k and an I.O.U.

Our Deal of the Day for 15 March is a half-now, half-later plan for the last-ever petrol-powered Lotus sports car
15 Mar 2024
New Audi A5 Sportback and Avant: prices, specs and info on sleek new compact execs
New Audi A5 Avant - exclusive image
News

New Audi A5 Sportback and Avant: prices, specs and info on sleek new compact execs

The new ICE and hybrid Audi A5 is due by year’s end in hatchback and estate forms
15 Mar 2024