This Is It: The Rolls-Royce Spectre Debuts as the Luxury Marque’s First Fully-Electric Car

Rolls-Royce plans to electrify its entire lineup by 2030

(Images: Rolls-Royce)
  • After showing off earlier prototypes, Rolls-Royce officially debuts the production-intent Spectre EV.
  • The Spectre is the first step in the brand’s EV transformation, which it says it will complete by 2030.
  • Rolls-Royce expects a Q4 2023 launch, though it says interested buyers can “commission” a car now.
    • The automaker did not share exact pricing, but did mention the Spectre will be priced “between Cullinan and Phantom”..

Like so many other automakers, the winds are changing within Rolls-Royce, and this Spectre coupe is the first step in the marque’s drive toward electrification. After seeing earlier prototypes out testing, the company finally shared some (subject to change) technical specs, as well as a release date and potential price for its next-generation electric model.

While the new 2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre brings new styling to the table, with the company itself touting this car as a spiritual successor to the Phantom Coupe. This new model rides on the “Architecture of Luxury” that underpins the current Phantom, Cullinan and Ghost, as well as the company’s coachbuilt cars. Apart from ensuring “the continuity of the experience from its current portfolio,” as Rolls-Royce puts it, engineers did obviously make changes to the aluminum spaceframe platform to accommodate an electric drivetrain. The nearly 700-kilogram (1,543-pound) battery pack and extruded aluminum sections offer up a 30% stiffer chassis to previous Rolls-Royce models.

2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre by the numbers

While the idea with this EV is to pivot away from the long-running 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12, the Rolls-Royce Spectre’s electric powertrain produces nearly identical figures. The automaker’s first EV manages 577 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque. That is the a bit more power and the same level of torque as the current Phantom model. Rolls-Royce says the Spectre can accelerate from 0-60 in 4.4 seconds, on its way to a limited top speed of 155 mph.

Mind you, all the performance figures on this 6,559-pound EV are preliminary. The company says its final figures are “still being refined”. For the moment, it estimates EPA driving range at 260 miles. For a three-ton electric car with 23-inch wheels, that’s a decent target by current standards. However, we’ll have to wait until actual range figures publish, and Rolls-Royce said nothing of this car’s fast charging capability in today’s announcement.

Looking inside the new Rolls-Royce Spectre EV

Beyond the obvious styling cues, Rolls-Royce also went to some length noting the Spectre’s notable advancements. One is the “magic carpet ride”, made possible by Rolls-Royce’s planar suspension system. Basically, the car’s onboard processing capability allows it to decouple the anti-roll bars when conditions permit, allowing each wheel to act independently in soaking up bumps. Once “a corner is imminent,” it recouples the anti-roll bar and stiffens the dampers and uses four-wheel steering to make the car as maneuverable as possible. It also uses 18 sensors to monitor steering, braking, power delivery and suspension to keep this heavy electric coupe stable.

Inside, the interior is signature Rolls-Royce, from the steering wheel layout to the center stack controls. You do get multiple displays up front, naturally, as well as the company’s Starlight Headliner. Also available, though, are “Starlight Doors”, which add another 4,796 stars to the interior, excluding how many you get with the headliner. The front seat design, Rolls-Royce says, is inspired by British tailoring, with lapel sections that you can spec to contrast or match the base colors.

Of course, we’re talking about Rolls-Royce here. If you can afford the Spectre in the first place — full pricing is not available yet — you can pretty much commission whatever interior features you like.

The 2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre officially launches in Q4 2023. Even though the launch is a year off, interested buyers can put their name in now. While the company did not specify exact pricing, it did say its first EV would land somewhere between the Cullinan and Phantom. On that basis, expect this electric coupe to go on sale around the $400,000 mark.

When it does land, the Spectre will face some high-dollar competition, namely with the Cadillac Celestiq. Will this hyper-luxe coupe top what America can offer? We’ll have to wait and see.