British luxury vehicle manufacturer Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is entering the electrical vehicle market with the announcement of the set debut of their electric powered Phantom on March.
“We have engineered the world’s first battery electric vehicle for the ultra-luxury segment,” said chief executive officer Torsten Müller-Ötvös.
The Phantom, a saloon automobile model launched in 2003, was the first model from Rolls-Royce Motor Cars since they became a subsidiary of the German BMW Group. The new model, dubbed the 102EX or the Phantom Experimental Electric will be a one-off, fully-electric vehicle, and is set to debut at the Geneva Motor Show on March 1.
“With this vehicle, we begin an exploration into alternative drive-trains, seeking clarity on which alternative technologies may be suitable to drive Rolls-Royce motor cars of the future,” said Mr. Müller-Ötvös.
The Phantom EE will serve as a working test bed for a global tour that will include Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and North America in 2011. Through test drives, the company will gather opinions and reactions to alternative drive-train options from a range of stakeholders including owners, enthusiasts, members of the public, and the media.
Currently, there are no plans to develop a production version, but the company believes that the model will serve as an invaluable tool to gauge potential market that such a luxury vehicle might have as well as answer important questions as to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ ability to incorporate future green alternative technologies into their vehicle offerings.
“It must be a technology that is right for our customers, our brand and which sets us on a sound footing for a sustainable future,” stressed Mr. Müller-Ötvös.