The Public Art Space, an event hall located in Marina Square, Singapore, was unusually busy on a recent Saturday as potential Rolls-Royce customers and reporters were invited to check out the world’s first ultra-luxury electric vehicle.
The spotlight was on the 102EX, an electric version of Rolls-Royce’s fabled Phantom. It is the first application of electric technology in the super luxury segment, vehicles that cost more than 200,000 euros ($287,000). That segment includes Bentley, made by Germany’s Volkswagen, and Mercedes-Benz’s Maybach.
Rolls-Royce developed only one 102EX, also known as the Phantom Experimental Electric. The British automaker, now part of the BMW Group, premiered the car at the Geneva Motor Show in March. In May, the company took the car on a world tour to showcase it to Rolls-Royce customers, enthusiasts and the media.
It has already traveled to the United Kingdom, Italy and Singapore, and its journey ahead includes Switzerland, Rome, Beijing, Los Angeles, Monaco, Frankfurt, Munich, Spain, Dubai, Tokyo, New York and Miami. The automaker will decide whether to mass produce the car by the end of the year.
The 102EX is 584 centimeters (19.1 feet) long, 199 centimeters wide and 163.8 centimeters high. A lithium-ion battery pack and two electric motors replace a 6.75-liter V12 gasoline engine. The 102EX’s performance is comparable to the regular Phantom. Each motor is power rated to 145 kilowatts, giving the 102EX a maximum power output of 290 kilowatts, which is around 338 horsepower. The standard Phantom clocks in at 460 horsepower, or roughly 338 kilowatts.
“The 102EX’s suspension is exactly the same as a normal Phantom, and despite the extra weight [because of the heavy battery pack], there’s zero difference in ride between the two,” said Karl Peskett, an Australian reporter from Car Advice after test-driving both the electric and petrol versions of the Phantom. “Handling feels about the same as the petrol Phantom also. Dynamically, they’re identical.”
The 102EX has the largest passenger car battery in the world, made by the U.K.-based Axeon company. If charged for around 20 hours, the battery allows the car to drive up to 200 kilometers (124 miles). If the car is used daily, the battery will last more than three years.
Does Rolls-Royce have to be eco-friendly? Does fuel efficiency matter to customers willing to pay $300,000 for a car? Are they sensitive to rising oil prices? After all, the gasoline Phantom only gets 4 kilometers per liter (9.4 miles per gallon) of gas.
“The automotive industry at large is changing, and we’re likely to not be able to have only petrol cars in the future,” said Hal Serudin, corporate communications manager for Rolls-Royce in the Asia Pacific region. “We’re looking now in order to develop a well-rounded strategy for the future into what’s suitable for Rolls-Royce. This experimental project is about exploring where we go.”
An engineer who participated in the car’s development said, “It’s unknown where the world’s automobile industry will head and Rolls-Royce should be prepared for any kind of options available.”
The company’s investment shows it’s capable of developing an electric car based on its existing technology.
It remains to be seen, however, if the 102EX will be mass produced. The company will invite around 500 customers, enthusiasts and members of the media to give it a test-drive and give feedback.
“We will decide whether or not to mass produce this electric vehicle after we receive feedback based on the global test-driving tour,” said Emily Dungey, the press officer for the 102EX. “The role of this car, however, is as a test bed, designed to explore established technologies.”-joongangdaily.joins.com
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