In a historic announcement, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars announced today, that on-road testing of its first fully electric motor car is imminent. The Spectre will be on sale by the end of 2023, and it will be a two-door coupe.

Announcing the upcoming first fully electric car from Rolls Royce, CEO, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, added, “I am proud to announce that Rolls-Royce is to begin the on-road testing programme for an extraordinary new product that will elevate the global all-electric car revolution and create the first – and finest – a super-luxury product of its type. This is not a prototype. It’s the real thing, it will be tested in plain sight and our clients will take first deliveries of the car in the fourth quarter of 2023.”

The road driving of prototype versions is about to begin, which will cover 1.5 million miles of testing around the world before the launch. Rolls-Royce is sticking with the modular ‘Architecture of Luxury’ aluminium spaceframe, used for the current Phantom and Cullinan.

The electric Rolls-Royce fulfils the 1900 prophecy of the marque’s founder, Charles Rolls. In April 1900 he experienced an early electric motor car named the Columbia and declared its electric drive to be ideal. Charles Rolls’ prophecy has been the subject of constant consideration during the marque’s Goodwood era. But we have not been satisfied that available technology could support the Rolls-Royce experience. Until now.

Rolls-Royce has been experimenting with an electric powertrain for some time. In 2011 the company revealed 102EX, a fully operational all-electric Phantom. This was followed in 2016 with the fully electric 103EX, which represented the company’s vision for the marque several decades into the future.