Rolls-Royce plans to swap its trademark high-powered gasoline engines for a fully-electric lineup beginning with its first EV model set to hit the market next year.
Over the next seven years, the BMW-owned
BMW,
British luxury brand will shift rapidly away from gasoline propulsion toward the “full electrification of our entire product portfolio by 2030,” said Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos in a statement.
“By then, Rolls-Royce will no longer be in the business of producing or selling any internal combustion engine products,” he said.
That target puts Rolls-Royce in line with former sibling Bentley, which is now owned by Volkswagen
VWAGY,
and has also said it will drop gasoline power by 2030. It’s worth noting Rolls-Royce, the car manufacturer, and Rolls-Royce, the aviation engine builder
RLLCF,
have been separate entities for 50 years.
Rolls-Royce’s automotive operations have long been known for strong gasoline engines, which the company markets as providing “adequate” power. For decades, Rolls-Royce did not officially quote power output.
Motivation is generally not a problem for electric cars, and neither is silent operation — another Rolls-Royce virtue.
Also read: How to custom-order a car from the factory
The first electric Rolls-Royce is currently under development using the name Spectre. The camouflaged development car is a 2-door coupe appearing to be a dead-ringer for the current Wraith. The automaker did not release any specifications for its upcoming electric powertrain, however.
This story originally ran on Autotrader.com.
This post was originally published on Market Watch
