Rolls-Royce unveiled the Spectre one year ago as a full-sized luxury electric car. But how far can it actually drive before it needs to be plugged in again, according to the EPA rating?
The luxury carmaker kept postponing the moment it would switch to electrification and claimed the arrival of an electric car would happen at the right time. The right time for Rolls-Royce came last fall, when the company, through its social media channels, unveiled the Spectre, its first-ever production EV, which they had previewed a year before.
The Spectre entered production back in September, with the deliveries set to commence sometime during the last quarter of 2023.
For a luxury car that costs almost half a million dollars, the Rolls-Royce Spectre isn't going too far compared to cars that cost ten times less. For instance, the Tesla Model 3 comes with an estimated EPA range of 270 miles and is expected to start at around $40,000 on the US market when it finally arrives.
The model rides on the same platform as the Phantom and the Cullinan SUV and is equipped with a 102-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, the same used by the BMW i7, which provides it with a range of 321 miles (517 kilometer), within the WLTP testing cycle. The unit can charge from 10 to 80 percent in 34 minutes with a maximum charge rate of 190 kW.
Photo: Rolls-Royce
But the EPA is not as generous, rating the luxury EV at way below the European figures: 264 miles (425 kilometers) for the Spectre Black Badge, wearing the 23-inch wheels before it needs to be plugged in again. This is the lowest rating in the lineup. The car shod with 22-inch wheels will be able to drive as far as 280 miles (451 kilometers). Meanwhile, the standard Spectre is capable of 291 miles (468 kilometers).
What should help range is the low drag coefficient of 0.25. the figure makes the electric coupe the most aerodynamic car that Rolls-Royce has ever built, despite the upright front grille, big side mirrors, and quite angular shape at the front.
Rolls-Royce explains that there is no need for a longer range since the average RR owners only cover around 3,000 miles with their cars per year.
The Spectre is set in motion by a pair of electric motors, one mounted on the front axle and the other one mounted at the rear. Together, they generate 577 horsepower (585 PS and 663 pound-feet (900 Nm) of torque. The EV accelerates from 0 to 62 mph (0 to 100 kph) in 4.5 seconds and can reach a top speed of 155 mph (250 kph)
2022 was the first year in Rolls-Royce's 118-year history that the company sold more than 6,000 cars. The Spectre electric coupe starts at $422,750 in the US.
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