Rolls-Royce teased their first electric vehicle called the Spectre this week announcing a 2023 market launch and showing a camouflaged prototype with two doors and a coupe silhouette.
When asked why this bodystyle was chosen instead of a more conventional three-box luxury sedan, CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvö claimed it was to make an “emotional statement” appealing to the brand’s surprisingly young demographic.
Despite being portrayed in our heads as a brand for old rich people, surprisingly, Rolls-Royce customers have an average age of 43 years, making them the youngest demographic among all BMW Group brands (BMW, Mini, Rolls-Royce)!
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During an interview with Autonews Europe, Torsten Müller-Ötvö said that young Rolls-Royce buyers are concentrated in China and in the US. The popularity of the brand among the younger audience has been credited to rap songs and its model’s presence on social media.
More Than 80% Of Rolls Royce Owners Drive Their Cars Themselves
Another cliche is that Rolls-Royce owners are being chauffeur-driven, but the automaker suggests that more than 80 per cent of the customers prefer to sit in the driver’s seat. Thus, an emotionally charged fully electric coupe was the best option for Rolls-Royce’s debut in the electric era. Mind you, by 2030 the British brand will have a fully electric range, having discontinued all ICE-powered vehicles.
The Wraith, was unveiled in 2013 so it will be ten years old when the brand-new Spectre arrives in 2023. Despite that and the similarities between the two models, Torsten Müller-Ötvö said: “It is not in any way the successor of the Wraith. It’s a different proposition for our clients. It will feel very different, it will look very different”.
If a new ICE-powered Wraith was to be unveiled, then its lifecycle would need to end in 2030, when the brand will become fully electric. Because we are still nine years away from that moment, it is rumoured that the last V12-powered model proudly wearing the Spirit of Ecstacy emblem has yet to be revealed.
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Back on the electrification subject, Rolls-Royce hasn’t given any information on the electric motors and battery specs of the Spectre. They only said that both its power and range will be “sufficient” which usually means more than enough. AutoForecast Solutions predicts that the next EV will be an SUV, using the same aluminium spaceframe platform as the Phantom, Cullinan, Ghost, and Spectre, although the CEO didn’t confirm that rumour.
If you are young enough to be in the market for a new Rolls-Royce, you should know that thanks to the relatively low volumes of production and the fact that it is a part of the BMW Group, the company doesn’t face any issues with the global semiconductor shortage crisis.