Rolls-Royce, the renowned luxury car manufacturer, has announced its plans to commence manufacturing the highly anticipated Spectre electric coupé starting in September. With an expected average price exceeding half a million euros, the luxury electric vehicle has already generated unprecedented demand in the market.
During the Spectre’s European debut at the prestigious Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza event in Italy, CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös revealed to Autocar that the extensive 2.5 million-kilometer development program for the Spectre is nearing completion. This milestone indicates that the company is now ready to transition into series production, which is set to begin in the autumn.
Reservations for the Spectre are already open, and the response thus far has been overwhelming. Müller-Ötvös anticipates that due to the high demand, new orders placed for the Spectre may not be fulfilled until 2025, despite earlier plans aiming for first deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Nevertheless, Müller-Ötvös believes that Rolls-Royce customers are willing to exercise patience. He stated to Autocar, “The order intake is far beyond our expectations… Clients are definitely prepared to wait.” Waiting periods of at least a year for a Rolls-Royce, including the Spectre, are not uncommon for customers.
Moreover, Müller-Ötvös is confident that the brand’s clientele will be willing to pay a premium price for the first electric Rolls-Royce, succeeding the Wraith coupé. While specific figures based on pre-orders were not disclosed, Müller-Ötvös suggested that the price of the Spectre would likely surpass €500,000 or £435,000, considering the various customization options available. He further added, “I think clients are keen to spec the car up to the highest levels.”
Rolls-Royce initially unveiled the Spectre EV in October 2021, a year after announcing its plans for electrification. The extensive testing program, referred to by the CEO, was already in the works at that time. According to Rolls-Royce, the rigorous 2.5 million kilometers of testing conducted are equivalent to over 400 years of real-world use. A significant portion of this testing occurred on the very roads where many production Spectres will be driven, including locations like the French Riviera, where the company refined the Planar suspension system. Performance targets announced earlier included 430 kW, 900 Nm of torque, and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds, with an estimated WLTP range of about 520 kilometers or nearly 330 miles. The recent announcement did not provide any updates regarding these specifications.
Rolls-Royce’s venture into the electric vehicle market appears to be a fruitful one. Despite initial hesitations, similar to other luxury automakers such as Bentley and Ferrari, Müller-Ötvös expressed surprise at the significant interest in the Spectre, particularly from individuals who had never considered purchasing a Rolls-Royce before. He explained, “We obviously have a lot of clients who are existing owners who ordered one, and we have around 40% of clients we have never seen before in our order books now.”
Looking ahead, Rolls-Royce has set a target to exclusively sell electric cars starting in 2030. This move represents the company’s commitment to embracing sustainable and environmentally friendly mobility solutions.
