Photo: Yosuke Yamada via Instagram
Ask any EV enthusiast and they'll say traditional carmakers are very slow to react when it comes to the switch to electricity, and very few manufacturers can be considered more traditional than Rolls-Royce.
The low-volume maker of luxury cars has made a name for itself by remaining true to its core values that have guided its activity for more than a century. Rolls-Royce has seemingly been that brand that seemed frozen in time, doing things its own way regardless of what was going on around it.
That approach may have flown until now, but if the powers that be decide we can't drive ICE cars anymore, not even Rolls-Royce can stand against that. The only two things the company can do in that situation is to call it quits or fall in line.
BMW would have no problem surviving without the British brand in its portfolio, but it does score extra points in style for the Bavarians, and those are hard to come by. Besides, it's the only real way they can compete with the Mercedes-Maybach models since no matter how many expensive materials you throw in a BMW 7-Series, it will still lack the historical name of its competitor.
So, at some point, Rolls-Royce might be forced to release a battery-powered model, and that moment could come sooner rather than later. It will surprise nobody that BMW is well aware of the situation and has just trademarked what could very well be the name for the first EV model of its luxury brand.
The information surfaced on the i4Talk forum posted by a user called giga_world. According to their discovery, BMW has filed a trademark application with the German Patent and Trademark Office for the "Silent Shadow" name.
If that sounds somewhat familiar, it's because it's very close to the name of the classic Silver Shadow model that was last produced in the 1980s. We have no idea whether the two models will share more than just a name similarity - hell, we don't even know for sure whether the Silent Shadow will be an EV, or if it will be at all.
What a missed opportunity this would be, though, don't you think? The name is perfect, offering both a connection to the brand's past as well as a clear description of the new vehicle's nature - Rolls-Royce and BMW couldn't have come up with a better choice.
Unfortunately, when it comes to EVs, it's not just the Shadow that's silent, but also Rolls-Royce as well. BMW is starting to make serious strides in its EV offensive, yet it still has a long way to go. With just the iX3 available out of the company's promised new wave of EVs, it's way too early to gauge the technological level just yet.
Naturally, Rolls-Royce is keeping quiet for now, and even though we can't know what's going on behind the closed doors of their R&D department, it's good to see the company is at least preparing a name. And a cool one at that.
That approach may have flown until now, but if the powers that be decide we can't drive ICE cars anymore, not even Rolls-Royce can stand against that. The only two things the company can do in that situation is to call it quits or fall in line.
BMW would have no problem surviving without the British brand in its portfolio, but it does score extra points in style for the Bavarians, and those are hard to come by. Besides, it's the only real way they can compete with the Mercedes-Maybach models since no matter how many expensive materials you throw in a BMW 7-Series, it will still lack the historical name of its competitor.
So, at some point, Rolls-Royce might be forced to release a battery-powered model, and that moment could come sooner rather than later. It will surprise nobody that BMW is well aware of the situation and has just trademarked what could very well be the name for the first EV model of its luxury brand.
The information surfaced on the i4Talk forum posted by a user called giga_world. According to their discovery, BMW has filed a trademark application with the German Patent and Trademark Office for the "Silent Shadow" name.
If that sounds somewhat familiar, it's because it's very close to the name of the classic Silver Shadow model that was last produced in the 1980s. We have no idea whether the two models will share more than just a name similarity - hell, we don't even know for sure whether the Silent Shadow will be an EV, or if it will be at all.
What a missed opportunity this would be, though, don't you think? The name is perfect, offering both a connection to the brand's past as well as a clear description of the new vehicle's nature - Rolls-Royce and BMW couldn't have come up with a better choice.
Unfortunately, when it comes to EVs, it's not just the Shadow that's silent, but also Rolls-Royce as well. BMW is starting to make serious strides in its EV offensive, yet it still has a long way to go. With just the iX3 available out of the company's promised new wave of EVs, it's way too early to gauge the technological level just yet.
Naturally, Rolls-Royce is keeping quiet for now, and even though we can't know what's going on behind the closed doors of their R&D department, it's good to see the company is at least preparing a name. And a cool one at that.
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