Rolls-Royce omits the plug-in hybrid

The era of "post-opulence" is being discreetly ushered in at Rolls-Royce, and it feels as though the new Ghost has become a victim of the rapid changes: it arrives, visually very close to its predecessor, only as a V12 petrol engine. Initially, but this is expected to change by 2025 at the latest. By then, an electric version is likely to be offered alongside the "entry-level Roller." Why no plug-in, which BMW already has ready in the 7 Series?

A clear answer from the British Rolls location in Goodwood: That would be the "worst of both worlds," full of compromises—and at Rolls, that's not appreciated at all. Especially since the new Ghost is not an inflated 7 Series BMW, but stands on the highly flexible aluminum platform that also supports the Cullinan and the Phantom. Moreover, BMW also plans more purely electric models in the future (7 Series, M5) and will have the necessary drive systems on the shelf in a few years anyway.

Additionally, Aston Martin with its planned electric subsidiary Lagonda, as well as VW with Bentley and Daimler with Maybach, are putting on the pressure, as they too are planning purely electric in the future. Not to mention startups like Tesla and Lucid Motors, where cool over-performance points to the future.

And between the lines, Jon Simms, who led the engineering of the new Ghost, explains that the primary goal was to make the Ghost even quieter – which would be easier with an electric motor than with a V12. Especially since Simms believes that acoustics are still “underestimated,” as he stated during the Ghost presentation in the British Car Magazine.

They look proudly into the future, especially considering that, at least before the pandemic, they had a new record year, selling 5,152 Rolls-Royce cars. According to Alex Innes, Head of Coach-Building, individuality will become even more important. It's not about the sheer money for the customers but about absolute uniqueness. Translated: 5,000 cars are such a small number that, thanks to 3D printing, it might soon be possible to build more unique Rolls-Royces that also differ significantly in appearance. Just like the luxury models of pre-war coachbuilders, which were individually placed on frames according to customer wishes..

But Innes has also recognized the signs of the times and told the colleagues at Car:

“We know that Rolls-Royce must transcend: The brand must rise above the ever-changing times.”

High words, which he follows up by saying that a Rolls Royce never has to do two things, but always only one, yet in doing so, it must be the best car in the world:

“It has only one single mission: You see, it is never fashionable, but goes a whole step beyond.”

What would really make each built piece truly sustainable. One can be curious about how Rolls Royce plans its extremely individual fashion-free future. The Ghost is not quite there yet: Although visually it is already a relatively timeless monolith, both in terms of acoustics and customization, the brand actually still has entirely different potential.

What does this mean?

The new Ghost remains (too) close to its predecessor in appearance and drive, even though it is based on a completely different platform that it no longer shares directly with BMW. The developers are aware that this cannot be the future, as they may have been somewhat overtaken by the disruptive changes in the industry, similar to Daimler with the new S-Class. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how the British brand positions itself electrically from 2025 onwards.