Rolls Royce

September 23, 2009

British Publication Says Rolls Royce Is Considering a Battery-Powered Phantom

A British publication reported today that luxury-car crafter Rolls Royce is thinking about producing an all-electric Phantom similar in appearance to the gasoline-powered Phantom pictured here.

Auto Express News, citing an unidentified RR spokesman, said that of the brand's entire lineup a battery-powered Phantom made the most sense because, at more than 5,600 pounds with a heavy 6.75-liter V12 under the hood, replacing the engine with an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery shouldn't create a major weight issue.

The greatest problem RR engineers anticipate is coming up with an electric Phantom that gives the vehicle a respectable travel range between charges. But then, there'd be nothing preventing the engineers from adding a small range-extending gasoline- and diesel-powered engine to serve as a generator to keep the juice flowing.

With the base price of the 2009 Phantom set at $350,000, an additional EV or plug-in hybrid EV premium wouldn't likely be an issue for prospective customers. And there's something awfully cool about being able to prowl the nights in a silent Phantom.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 23, 2009, 2:49 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Manufacturers, Plug-ins and Electric, Rolls Royce
Technorati Tags:: Electric Vehicle