Wednesday 2nd March 2011

Rolls-Royce Plugs Into Eco Bandwagon

What's more shocking? The world's largest battery pack, or a plastic Spirit of Ecstasy...

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An Eco-Roller? Not two words you would normally associate but this fully functional prototype, dubbed the 102 EX or 'Phantom EE', is exactly that - an electric Phantom.

The 6.8-litre BMW V12 has been left on the shelf (er, can we borrow it then?), and in its place are a lithium Ion battery pack and two electric motors mounted on the rear subframe. The combined output of the pair is 394hp and 590lb ft, compared with 460hp and 531lb ft for the petrol-fuelled version. With a peak current of 850A delivered at 338V (DC) from the largest battery pack ever to be fitted to a car, the porky Rolls (it's 95kg heavier than the 'regular' Phantom at an incredible 2,720kg) gets from 0-60mph in a sedate 8-seconds, with a top speed limited to around 100mph.

Shiny, isn't it. That's because the 'Atlantic Chrome' paint consists of 16 coats of highly reflective paint, with nano particles 1,000 times smaller than metallic paint particles. The Spirit of Ecstasy lady is now made out of Makrolon (a posh name for plastic) and lit by blue LEDs (watch out China - here we come!). The leather interior uses an experimental vegetable tanning treatment and Tara powder from the crushed fruit of the South American Tara bush. (Honest, we haven't spent the morning in the pub making that lot up.)

As ever, the potential stumbling block is range, or lack of it: the 102 EX should manage up to 125 miles before the lead snaps taut and the plug pulls out the wall. Is that faintly ridiculous considering the theoretical price and aura of such a car, or, seeing as many sit outside posh hotels ready for urban chauffeuring duty does it kind of make sense?

Questions, questions - something Rolls Royce hope the car will help answer during a year-long world tour. In fact, in a move that would surely make the facial hair of the notoriously exacting Sir Henry Royce twitch, the firm are going one step further than merely courting feedback from clients. They want you - yes you - to join in a 'debate' through facebook and twitter to tell them whether you think it's a good idea. Visit www.electricluxury.com to do so, and if you're going to be rude don't say PH sent you...

[Ed.]

Needs a Bladon turbine in there.

[jake15919]

An absolutely terrible car. It's existence actually makes the world a worse place. What's the point in giving the ultimate luxury intercontinental car an alleged range of 125 miles (if it gets anywhere near that it will be a miracle).

Progress is not turning the Edinburgh to London run into a three day event.

[GTO Scott]

Just so so wrong on so many levels

[NoNeed]

I'm struggling to put my finger on it exactly, but something is not quite right.

[pacman1]

Not sure quite how it works, but would this not be a similar exercise to attract tax breaks, similar to Aston's remodeled Iq?

[oldcynic]

What a fantastic idea for cars which never actually leave the cities! That range will merrily get you out to the airport and back, and given a choice of a G-Wiz or an electric Rolls I know where I'd rather be chaffeured.

It's a lifestyle thing - of course for long distance travel it's completely useless, but how are these cars normally used anyway?

[Triple7]

That's my main issue with these Eco cars, is the hugely heavy batteries that have to be carried about. It's the Achilles heal. Engines run most efficient at constant rpm at their own sweet spot, there's been diesel-electric loco's around for nearly half a century, why isn't anyone putting a perfect fuel efficient unit in a car and hooking it up to a sweet electric motor & then having a small battery pack to act as a
kERS unit increasing the efficiency further?

[ScoobieWRX]

Why didn't they just fit a 'Flux Capacitor'.

Plenty of rubbish in London to run it!!

[Viggo]

Rolls-Royce started going to the dogs when some bally owners started driving the things themselves instead of employing chauffeurs. And now this! Nurse, the screens...

[Gr1fff]

Wow some serious negetivity about this car? 125 miles is alot more than the average commute and I know for a fact that it will do all of the 125 mile range.

Roller said they actually prefer the electric drivetrain to thier own as it's suited to thier clients.

[thinfourth2]

What a stupid idea.

What if you don't have a parking space how are you going to recharge it?

[Garlick]

Can you imagine the absolute silence when wafting around the city?

I think this has legs you know....

[crofty1984]

Triple7 said:

, why isn't anyone putting a perfect fuel efficient unit in a car and hooking it up to a sweet electric motor & then having a small battery pack to act as a
kERS unit increasing the efficiency further?

I think you've just described the Evora 414E.

[thinfourth2]

jake15919 said:

An absolutely terrible car. It's existence actually makes the world a worse place. What's the point in giving the ultimate luxury intercontinental car an alleged range of 125 miles (if it gets anywhere near that it will be a miracle).

Progress is not turning the Edinburgh to London run into a three day event.

"Parker drive us to Edinburgh will old chap"

"I'm sorry my lady it can only do 100 miles"

"Oh crap we will just have to use thunderbird 1 the helicopter"

"Yes my lady"

[Kong]

What is the point in making a 2.7 ton eco-car? Certainly a bit of bandwagon jumping going on.

[cookie1600]

Garlick said:

Can you imagine the absolute silence when wafting around the city?

Ahh yes!! as unsuspecting, bloated bankers get speared by the plastic (sorry polycarbonate)Spirit of Ecstasy - how sublime!

[Topfish59]

thinfourth2 said:

What a stupid idea.

What if you don't have a parking space how are you going to recharge it?

If you own a £500k Phantom, you are likely to have a parking space. In fact, a small country or even a postal district in London. Think you're on the wrong website?

[r129sl]

It's a start, isn't it? I mean, the electric car is not quite a fully resolved product, largely because of the constraints on storing electricity. I am not sure there are any long-range electric cars which do not have a petrol or diesel driven generator on board. 125miles seems to be the current maximum. So it's nice to know that as well as the tinfoil mostrosities, one can have one's electric car by Rolls. I don't see why I should have to wear the hairshirt merely because I wish to proceed by electricity: why not have a three ton gin palace?

I can see the electric power train being wonderfully suited to Rolls Royce, too.

The problem for me is that it is so unspeakably vulgar. This is the sort of vehicle that drivers of Range Rover Sports aspire to! It is a car of its time, not a car for all time.

[ajprice]

pacman1 said:

Not sure quite how it works, but would this not be a similar exercise to attract tax breaks, similar to Aston's remodeled Iq?

I'm not sure either but I don't think so, as (according the the people who invented this CO2 car range tax) RR are part of BMW the range of cars and goes from Mini to RR, Aston just have their own range, which forced the iQ Cygnet.

[Jasandjules]

NoNeed said:

I'm struggling to put my finger on it exactly, but something is not quite right.

It's all of it.

HTH.