Rolls Royce has reported its test programs for their upcoming EV project - the Spectre Coupé, concluding winter testing less than 55km away from the Arctic Circle in a specialist facility in Arjeplog, Sweden.
The Spectre's mechanisms were subjected to temperatures as extreme as -40C, during what the brand says was its ‘most demanding testing program ever’.
Noise levels, vibration, climate control system and rubber components, as well as the Spectre’s handling and powertrain performance, are reported to have been pushed and tested to its highest performance levels.
The drivetrain - the group of components that sends power from the electric motor to the wheels, along with the chassis, were tested on heavy snow and ice to ensure that the Spectre is well equipped to take on adverse weather conditions.
Reports from Rolls Royce state the project for this ev model includes a cardinal digitally-connected experience, with nearly 5 miles of wire cabling inside the car. Mihiar Ayoubi, Director of Engineering, Rolls-Royce said: “The departure from internal combustion engines allows us to significantly increase the processing power of our individual components and create a ‘Decentralised Intelligence’. We refer to this unprecedented era, where we benefit from a multi-control, multi-channel and highly interconnected electronic and electric powertrain architecture, as ‘Rolls-Royce 3.0’.”
The Spectre coupé has been positioned by the car manufacturer to be the Phantom coupé's successor.
Beyond the digital components, the Spectre is expected to be a sleek, two-door grand tourer with a typical long bonnet and muscular proportions; and the oversized bonnet suggests there would be room for the twin-turbo 6.75-litre V12 that features in all other models based on this platform. Although the Spectre prototype sits on 22-inch wheels due to its winter tyres, Rolls Royce reported the all-season configuration is expected to feature 23s, the largest wheel diameters on a coupé since the 1926 Bugatti Royale.
Rolls-Royce has confirmed Spectre will run on the same architecture it has developed for its latest generation of cars, such as the Phantom, Ghost or Cullinan SUV. To make sure the switch to electric works seamlessly, Rolls Royce is compressing the equivalent of 400 years of use into its development cycle, spanning 2.5 million kilometres. According to their website, engineers have undertaken ‘the most demanding testing program ever’ produced by Rolls Royce to date.
“It is much more than a product. It is a symbol for our bright, bold electric future, and it represents a seismic shift in our powertrain technology.” - said Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.
Rolls Royce intends to release the Spectre’s first customer deliveries between October and December 2023.