Rolls-Royce Spectre: brand’s first EV has 520km range, is most aerodynamic Roller ever

The British brand has dubbed the Spectre as the “world’s first ultra-luxury electric super coupe”

After much anticipation, Rolls-Royce has finally revealed its very first electric vehicle in the form of the Spectre coupe.

Like all Rolls-Royce vehicles, the fully-electric Spectre is the height of excess in more ways than one, measuring at over 5.4-metres long, and weighing a touch under 3-tonnes.

Continuing this theme of big things are the 23-inch wheels that it comes on, and the fact that it gets the widest front grille ever fitted to a Rolls-Royce vehicle.

2042 Rolls-Royce Spectre rear 3/4 — The 2042 Rolls-Royce Spectre comes on 23-inch wheels

Taking its underpinnings from the original Phantom, the Spectre sits on Rolls-Royce’s Architecture of Luxury, which has since been updated to accommodate electric drivetrain technology.

Though exact details surrounding the battery haven’t been revealed, Rolls-Royce did state that it weighs 700kg. With the addition of the battery into the platform, the Spectre is 30 per cent stiffer than any previous Rolls-Royce vehicle.

This hefty battery powers a pair of electric motors that sit on each axle to create an all-wheel drive system. These work together to produce 430kW and 900Nm, which will send the Spectre to 100km/h in a claimed 4.5-seconds.

2042 Rolls-Royce Spectre side — It’s the most aerodynamic Rolls-Royce vehicle ever

The Spectre is expected to possess a driving range of up to 520km from a single charge, and achieve an efficiency figure of 21kWh/100km.

Though Rolls-Royce hasn’t stated the size of the Spectre’s battery, some basic maths gets us to a usable figure of 111kWh. Considering that the BMW iX uses a 111kWh battery, there’s potential for the same unit to be used, but with more modules in the Spectre.

With a drag coefficient of 0.25, the Spectre is now the most aerodynamic Rolls-Royce of all time. This was somewhat helped by a re-designed Spirit of Ecstasy that reflects a more sporty vehicle.

To achieve the brand’s staple ‘magic carpet ride’ in the Spectre, Rolls-Royce uses a complex electronically-controlled suspension system that can decouple the car’s anti-roll bars on the fly. This allows for each wheel to act independently in a straight line, preventing rocking motions.

2042 Rolls-Royce Spectre front 3/4 — It also wears the widest front grille of any Rolls-Royce

When a corner is detected, the system will re-engage the anti-roll bars and stiffen the suspension to prevent lateral roll. The four-wheel steering system works in conjunction to retain maximum stability.

On the inside, the Spectre keeps the traditional Rolls-Royce theme, but updates things with a semi-digital dash. The same star-lit roof is also there, but this now extends across the doors and the dash.

Rolls-Royce is yet to reveal pricing information for the Spectre, but has confirmed that deliveries are expected to start in the final quarter of 2023.

2042 Rolls-Royce Spectre interior — Stars can now be found across the dash in the Spectre

To give context of where this Spectre will be priced, the cheapest vehicle Rolls-Royce sells in Australia is the Cullinan at $635,000 before on-road costs. At the other end of the spectrum is the Phantom at $915,400. It’s likely that the Spectre will land something in the middle of this rather large gap.