Rolls-Royce Ghost Expansion Likely, SUV and EV Not: CEO Says
Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös recently confirmed that there will be no all-electric model or SUV coming anytime soon, if at all. The British luxury automaker will instead concentrate on its existing Ghost model, potentially releasing a coupe and convertible variant.
Back at last year’s Geneva Auto Show, Rolls-Royce showed off an all-electric 102EX concept but the CEO states that “the results were ambivalent,” even though its acceleration and silenced was praised. The problem was, “the charges times are not acceptable, and the range is not acceptable,” said Müller-Ötvös. And even though the CEO said that a plug-in hybrid variant could combine the best of both worlds, the British automaker has no immediate plans to go down that route.
So along with the EV idea, Rolls-Royce also affirmed that they won’t be dabbling with SUVs, or building a model to slot in under the Ghost. “Rolls-Royce stands for the best sedans in the world, magnificent coupes and convertibles, and we really would like to retain this identity. I have a difficult time imagining an SUV for our brand.”
What will we see from Rolls-Royce in the near future? It appears that variants of the Ghost will be in development, similar to how the Phantom has a Coupe and a Drophead Coupe model. We saw evidence of Rolls-Royce focusing on their Ghost when they announced two-tone variations for their smaller model at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.
[Source: Car and Driver]
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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i don't like the rear view of ghost