2 minute read - 9th February 2023
Rolls-Royce makes progress on all-electric Spectre testing programme
Rolls-Royce’s all-electric super coupé Spectre, has now covered almost two million kilometres as it completes the third phase of the most rigorous testing programme ever devised in the marque’s 118-year history.
Spectre is currently undergoing extreme hot weather tests in two locations in South Africa. The final 500,000 kilometres of Spectre testing will focus on lifestyle analysis.
Testing began in the winter of 2021 at a special testing facility in Arjeplog, Sweden, just 55 kilometres from the Arctic Circle. In temperatures of -40°C, Rolls-Royce engineers examined and refined every aspect of Spectre’s performance and handling in snow and ice, and any effects of prolonged extreme cold on the motor car’s batteries and other electronic systems.
Rolls-Royce has made progress on a 2.5 million kilometre testing programme of its all-electric Spectre / Picture: Rolls-Royce
Ahead of the first cars being delivered to clients, scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2023, Spectre has undergone exhaustive trials designed to replicate almost 400 years of normal use, in some of the most extreme conditions on Earth. In total, the car will cover more than 2.5 million kilometres – the equivalent of circumnavigating the globe 62 times.
During this stage, engineers are observing and refining every system, hardware item and software protocol that has been developed over the course of almost two million kilometres of continuous testing. Only through such painstaking assessments can Rolls-Royce’s technical experts achieve the exacting levels of ride refinement that are so central to the experience beloved by clients, and successfully translate the marque’s defining ‘magic carpet ride’ to the new all-electric paradigm.
The first cars are expected to be delivered to clients in the fourth quarter of 2023 / Picture: Rolls-Royce
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, chief executive officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, said: “Spectre has already secured its place as the most anticipated Rolls-Royce in history. This remarkable and transformative motor car represents the beginning of the marque’s bold electric era as well as our unquestionable technological leadership of the super-luxury space. Equally, this vast, ambitious and demanding testing process symbolises our promise to ensure Spectre is undoubtedly a Rolls-Royce first.
“A profound aspect of our approach to this precious brand is to inspire greatness in everything we do and with Spectre, we are elevating the automotive experience to unparalleled heights, creating a new benchmark of distinction. It is the fulfilment of this promise that underpins the marque’s ongoing success and drives our constant focus to meet, and exceed, the expectations of our discerning clients.”
Dr. Mihiar Ayoubi, director of engineering, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, added: “The reason for our extraordinary and restless global testing process is simple: there has never been a motor car like Spectre before. As the first all-electric Rolls-Royce, Spectre represents not just a new paradigm in our technology, but the entire future direction of our brand. Only Rolls-Royce engineers could conceive this astonishing journey, and only Rolls-Royce engineers could undertake it: the task is not to test a motor car but to elevate the benchmark of automotive excellence.”