Rolls-Royce to go electric as it unveils new 375,000 euro Phantom VIII
Luxury carmaker Rolls-Royce has released the Phantom VIII, a second modern version of the flagship state car that Rolls first introduced in 1925.
The new model features a revamped chassis design including a new aluminium unibody architecture which will become standard for all future Rolls-Royce models.
It features a 6.75-liter V12 engine, turbocharged to deliver 563 brake horsepower.
The car is capable of reaching 0-100 km/h in 5.2 seconds, and tops out at 155 mph (250kph)
Luxury features include a forward-facing camera that scans the road in front of you for obstacles as well as a self-leveling air suspension.
The car also features a full glass panel – dubbed The Gallery – that stretches the width of the cabin and also encases the infotainment system. Upon request The Gallery can also hold specially commissioned artworks.
The Phantom VIII will retail for 375,000 euro.
Going electric
The launch of the Phantom VIII follows just a day after the UK announced it will ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars by the year 2040.
According to environment secretary Michael Gove the decision was made as part of the government’s push to embrace new technology and address growing concerns of air pollution in the country.
Speaking to Bloomberg at the launch of Phantom VIII, brand chief Torsten Müller-Ötvös indicated that the company would be transitioning to electric and alternative fuels in the next few years to meet with increasing environmental demands.
“Rolls-Royce will start to go electric in the next decade,” he said.
However he noted that this poses some unique challenges for the luxury brand despite their customer base traditionally being wealthy individuals.
“You need to have then an effortless charging situation,” he said, “as wealthy clientele isn’t in the mood to spend more than a couple of minutes topping up batteries.”
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