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Rolls-Royce Open to Full-Electric Models
BMW AG's Rolls-Royce Motor Cars unit, which previously has indicated it had no interest in developing an electric vehicle, is becoming more open to adding an all-electric model to its lineup of ultra-luxury vehicles, Bloomberg News reports.
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BMW AG's Rolls-Royce Motor Cars unit, which previously has indicated it had no interest in developing an electric vehicle, is becoming more open to adding an all-electric model to its lineup of ultra-luxury vehicles, Bloomberg News reports.
As with other carmakers (and most car buyers), the key to EVs for Rolls-Royce is improving their driving range. CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos says he can "definitely" envision a Rolls EV down the road if battery technology advances enough to enable driving ranges closer to those of conventionally powered vehicles.
Rolls-Royce showed an EV concept several years ago but ruled out a production model at that time after potential buyers complained about the car's 124-mile driving range.
Muller-Otvos didn't say what range would be acceptable for the prestigious brand or provide a timeline for a decision to develop an EV. A likely first step is a plug-in hybrid Rolls, which some media reports suggest could appear as early as 2017 by tapping into BMW's engineering knowhow.
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