Rolls-Royce buyers say "no" to battery power.
Don’t go looking for a production version of the battery-powered 102 EX concept vehicle at your local Rolls-Royce dealer anytime soon. The project has quite literally come unplugged.
The British ultra-luxury maker rolled out the prototype at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show hoping to test market interest in electric propulsion but has apparently received a “thanks-but-no-thanks” response from potential buyers.
No surprise, really. Company officials were clearly more than a little skeptical themselves when they first revealed the Phantom-based prototype in February of last year, but with so many competitors also exploring the potential of electric drive – including Rolls’ parent BMW – it was clear that the British marque had to at least test the waters.
But a report in Motor Trend suggests that there was essentially no interest from Rolls buyers in the 102 EX, even though the rich seem to be feeling the push to go green as much as those in the 99% class of motorists.
Rolls had hoped it could win over buyers with a package that maintained many of the Phantom’s key attributes, including its lavish cabin and basic roadside manners. Rolls engineers were even able to eliminate the traditional driveline floor hump.
In fact, the 102 EX claimed to deliver better acceleration than the V-12 Phantom with the prototype’s 1,452 pounds of batteries delivering massive torque to the wheels.
According to Rolls CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös, owners simply don’t want to let go of the traditional V-12. And they found “unacceptable” such concessions as a maximum range of 120 miles and charging times of up to 8 hours, he told the magazine. When you have enough money to afford a Phantom, apparently, compromise is not part of your vocabulary.
This isn’t to say that Rolls-Royce is turning up its nose entirely at the idea of going green. The staid maker apparently is looking at other options, including the possibility of a plug-in or range-extender system, not unlike what’s found in the Chevrolet Volt or Fisker Karma.
Or which may soon be offered in the production version of the Bentley EXP 9F, that maker’s SUV concept which made its own debut at this year’s Geneva Motor Show. As TheDetroitBureau.com revealed last August, Bentley is giving very serious consideration to such a driveline option.
Indeed, most luxury makers are betting on the need to offer at least some battery-based powertrains. BMW is not only adding hybrids but launching an entirely new sub-brand that will market the i3 battery-electric city car and i8 plug-in. Mercedes-Benz is working up a variety of battery models, including an all-electric version of its gull-winged SLS supercar. And even Porsche is pushing forward with a variety of hybrid and plug-in models.