Spectre revealed as name for new Rolls-Royce Electric Vehicle

There’s not only a much-hyped new James Bond film being released but with a suitably theatrical flourish Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös has also announced that the company’s much anticipated electric vehicle will appear in Quarter 4 in 2023.

The name will be Spectre, which follows the spooky monickers applied down the ages but some may also point out that Spectre was the dark force that 007 often engaged and is a word more widely used as something unpleasant in the future to fear.

Whatever the dark connotations, electric power is no stranger to either of the marque’s historic founders. The Hon CS Rolls tried a Columbia vehicle in 1900 and declared, “ The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean. There is no smell or vibration, and they should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged. But for now, I do not anticipate that they will be very serviceable – at least for many years to come.”

And, of course, FH Royce and Co first made electrical devices, cranes and even patented the bayonet-style light fitting before developing the motor car into a worthy and reliable form of transport.

But what of the new Rolls-Royce? Details are as whisper-thin as a politician’s promises but while the Chief Executive Officer stated that no Rolls-Royce would be simply a BMW makeover and spy photos suggest that the new car will have similar fastback styling to existing niche models like the Wraith and share the newly developed and uniquely RR platform that allows many variations on a theme, expect some powertrain input from the Bavarian parent company.

Whatever the finished article comprises a further promise from the Goodwood HQ of Spectre is that the current crop of infernal combustion engines is likely be killed-off by 2030.

You have been warned.