1986 Rolls Royce Silver Spur(lwb) 6.75l V8 Ps,pw,pb,ps Power Mirrors on 2040-cars

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Rolls-Royce gives up on electric, diesel models in favor of hybrid

Rolls-Royce is not what you might characterize as one of the greenest automakers on the market. Its vehicles tend to be rather large, saddled with lots of plush leather, thick carpets and wood trim, and powered by twelve-cylinder engines in excess of six and a half liters. But that doesn't mean that the stoic British automaker isn't trying to clean up its act, even if its customers haven't responded in kind. Rolls did not receive a single order for the all-electric Phantom. A few years ago, Rolls-Royce showcased an all-electric Phantom prototype called the 102EX (pictured above) and sent it on a global tour to demonstrate to customers around the world. But in speaking to company representatives, Autocar reports that Rolls did not receive a single order for such a vehicle. Nor did customers respond favorably to the idea of a diesel Rolls-Royce. Prospective and existing clients exhibited "significant hostility" towards the idea, despite a diesel prototype that was "effectively inaudible" in comparison to the existing gasoline models while delivering torque-driven performance which the company characterized as "impressive" while significantly reducing carbon emissions. As a result, the diesel project was killed off just like the electric one. That doesn't mean that Rolls-Royce is giving up, though. In the wake of the diesel and electric projects, Goodwood is reportedly proceeding with a hybrid powertrain borrowed from parent company BMW, which offers a wide array of hybrids including versions of 3 Series, 5 Series and 7 Series sedans, the X6 crossover and the i3 and i8 PHEVs.

Rolls-Royce delivers 6,000 cars in '23, the most ever in one year

It's good to be Rolls-Royce: In the year just passed, the British automaker sold more cars than ever. Rolls delivered 6,032 cars around the world — the most in its 119-year history — "despite continuing economic uncertainties and market volatility," the company said in a statement. The manufacturerÂ’s largest market last year was the United States, followed by China. The biggest-selling model was the Cullinan SUV, followed by the Ghost, the smaller of Rolls-RoyceÂ’s two saloons. In 2023, affluent buyers began taking possession of Rolls' first all-electric Spectre model in the autumn. Production of Spectre followed the expected demise of the brandÂ’s Wraith and Dawn models. Rolls-Royce cars are produced in Goodwood, southern England. The high-level brand became part of BMW in 1998. It has lately been emphasizing its custom Bespoke division, which generally accounts for higher profits builds. Treatments offered at extra cost to dress up a Rolls include special paint, styling cues and interior "scents." Current Chief Executive Chris Brownridge, who took on the role last autumn, said: ‘ItÂ’s especially encouraging to see the enormous interest in and demand for Spectre, supporting the decision to adopt a bold, all-electric strategy for future model development and production. The record level of Bespoke commissions, both by volume and value, also underlines our position within the luxury sector.” His predecessor, Torsten Muller-Otvos, departed the company in November, having led the group since 2010 and overseen record-setting performances. RollsÂ’s North American division recently announced that it would drop the prices of some “aging” units in dealer inventories by $15,000 for cars sold by the end of March. The deal, unusual for Rolls-Royce, stipulates that the models that could benefit are the $375,000 Cullinan and Black Badge Cullinan, as well as the $350,000 Ghost, Ghost Extended and Black Badge Ghost. Every little bit helps, we suppose.    

Rolls-Royce planning plug-in hybrid

Rolls-Royce is not the first marque you'd think of when it comes to environmentally friendly transportation. Its cars are big - often the size of SUVs - and pack ginormous twelve-cylinder engines displacing over six and a half liters. Those upright Parthenon grilles can't be very aerodynamic, either. But the way the wind is blowing these days, Goodwood will have to get with the program sooner or later.
It developed an electric version of the Phantom a couple of years ago called the 102EX and showed it to customers around the world. But people weren't interested, so Rolls-Royce killed the program. Not to be deterred, however, Rolls is now said to be working on a plug-in hybrid that would countermand some of the shortcomings - like range and recharging times - that killed the 102EX.
The technology would apparently be borrowed from parent company BMW which is developing it for the X5 eDrive and allow Rolls-Royce to reduce its carbon footprint and offer a more environmentally friendly mode of transportation to those who don't want to skimp on the luxury and prestige.