They once famously boasted that the only sound to be heard inside a Rolls-Royce was the ticking of the clock. Soon, they will be even quieter.
The luxury car-maker will go electric in the next 10 years, its chief executive has told Arab News.
“Electrification is definitely the route to go,” Torsten Muller-Otvos said. “We have already launched last year a concept, Vision EX130. Within the next decade Rolls-Royce will start to go electric.
“In the long term that is the way to go. For that reason we also decided not to do intermediate steps with hybrid or plug-in hybrid because it would be too compromised and would not offer a convincing solution. If you really want to go emission-free then you have to go electric.”
Muller-Otvos was speaking at the launch in London of the Phantom VIII, the eighth generation of the company’s classic luxury limousine that first graced the roads in 1925. He spoke exclusively to Arab News about the new Phantom, its impact on company sales and the company’s outlook.
• After a very successful Phantom VII, how difficult was it to develop a Phantom for the 21st century?
• It was a challenge. Phantom VII was a brilliant car but after 14 years in the market there is always room for improvement. We set ourselves quite an ambitious target especially when it comes to Magic Carpet Ride, which Phantom VIII has. There is special insulation to the floor of the car to isolate road noise so that Phantom seems to fly on land. We even developed anti-noise tires in cooperation with Continental, our tire supplier. We developed a totally new twin-turbo 6.75 liter engine with a high torque starting from 1700 rpm. We managed to keep the Phantom “aura” but at the same time modernize the design like keeping the grille within the body with lines sweeping from there forming a bow tail. The car is very elegant and has a design language that underlines this “waftability”. In the interior, the gallery concept is unique. Nobody else has ever put the whole dashboard behind glass. We have done it for a reason: clients, many of whom are art collectors, have asked us for this.
• Rolls-Royce delivered about 4,000 cars last year: What are your expectations for this year and how much of that is contributed by Phantoms?
We expect less this year. It will not be 4,000. I can’t tell you exactly what the number will be but that is mainly due to the fact that we don’t have Phantom. You might remember that we discontinued Phantom at the end of last year and since then there were no Phantoms available in the market. Phantoms usually account for 10 to 15 percent of our annual production. The first Phantom of the new generation will be delivered in January.
• Are there any other factors affecting sales, apart from the fact there was no Phantom?
• The Middle East is not the easiest market at the moment. It was one of our best markets two years ago but is now facing some tough challenges. The political environment is not easy, especially with the Qatar crisis. There are lots of uncertainties in all countries of the Middle East. That is something which affects the mood of the customers when it comes to buying a new Rolls-Royce.
• Will the new Phantom come to the Dubai Motor Show and how long does it take between ordering a Phantom and having it delivered?
Yes, it will be in the Dubai Motor Show. Our order books are already looking very nice and some orders were collected from the Middle East too. I would say if you order today, you will need to wait for about six months for delivery.
• How many variants of the Phantom are you planning at this stage?
Two: We plan a regular wheelbase and an extended wheelbase. We have announced that we would discontinue the coupe and the drophead coupe and not because we do not like them or there is no market for them but because we decided to invest the money better in project Cullinan. For that reason Phantom stays as a limousine and we have two other beautiful cars, Wraith and Dawn.
• Can you elaborate on the pre-production orders you received, especially from the Middle East and what are your expectations for the new Phantom in the region?
There are some great customers in the Middle East and for them it is a must to be among the first to own a Phantom whatever the situation. We have not seen slowdown on Phantom orders even though we saw slow down on Ghost, Wraith and Dawn in the region.
• How is the Cullinan coming along?
Cullinan is on track. Project Cullinan comes one year after the Phantom so you will probably see Cullinan one year from now. It is now being tested in parts of the Middle East — in the Dubai area.