Rolls-Royce is quietly gearing up for its next big step into the electric era — so quietly, in fact, it might be the calmest shift in the auto world since someone decided cars deserved carpeted floor mats.
Before anyone starts panicking about “tradition being lost,” it's worth remembering that Rolls-Royce has always been built around peaceful, effortless motion. They’ve simply discovered a new way to glide without relying on ancient fossil fuel.
Chris Brownridge, the brand’s new CEO, has confirmed that a second fully electric model will join the Spectre later this year. He isn’t sharing many details yet — think Swiss banker keeping secrets during a tax audit — but what he has revealed is pretty intriguing.
The Spectre itself has been welcomed with the kind of excitement usually reserved for free champagne at charity events. Brownridge says it delivers a “remarkable Rolls-Royce experience,” combining total silence with that signature “waftability” — a term only Rolls-Royce could use with a straight face. In a way, removing the engine has simply turned the brand’s classic values of smoothness and serenity up to maximum.
One particularly bold move: Rolls-Royce has zero interest in hybrids. While other luxury brands hedge their bets with plug-in options, Rolls-Royce is diving fully into pure electric power. It’s like learning to swim by jumping straight into the deep end — except the pool is filled with extremely expensive electricity.
This firm commitment to electrification comes at an unusual time. Global EV demand has been cooling off faster than a champagne bucket at a billionaire’s wedding, yet Rolls-Royce still plans to retire combustion engines entirely by 2030. It’s a daring strategy, but when your customers have bank accounts larger than some countries, normal market rules just don’t apply.
And so far, the Spectre seems to justify their confidence. A recent drive through New York City showed that electric power might actually be the most “Rolls-Royce” move possible. There’s something undeniably fitting about gliding through Manhattan in complete silence while everyone else rattles by in their noisy gasoline cars.
As for me? Time to start saving. If I sell everything I own and live off canned beans for the next 40 years, I might be able to afford the optional umbrella holder.
Source: f1rst motors