Rolls-Royce Phantom Experimental Electric 102EX Concept Powered by Lotus
There might not be a larger void between two automakers than the British brands Lotus and Rolls-Royce. One focuses on bare-bones sports cars, while the other epitomizes excessive luxury. But when Rolls-Royce decided to push ahead with plans to create an electric car concept, it went straight to the engineering minds at Lotus.
On display at the Geneva Auto Show, the Rolls-Royce 102EX, or Experimental Electric, utilizes Lotus technology, although the results are rather underwhelming. Rolls-Royce is using this car to see if there’s a market for an electric version of its super luxury saloon, but with a 0-62 mph time of “under eight seconds,” it’s hard to be impressed – especially when the standard V12-powered car does it in just 5.7 seconds. The reason for the more sedate acceleration might be that the two electric motors, which combine to make 290 kW and 590 lb-ft of torque, are powered by a lithium-ion battery pack that weighs, wait for it… 1,411 lbs.
Rolls will take the 102EX on a world-wide tour this year to gauge interest from potential customers. If they don’t ship it, however, it might just take all year to drive around the world with a range of 124 miles between charges.
GALLERY: Rolls-Royce 102EX
With AutoGuide from its launch, Colum previously acted as Editor-in-Chief of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine where he became a certifiable car snob driving supercars like the Koenigsegg CCX and racing down the autobahn in anything over 500 hp. He has won numerous automotive journalism awards including the Best Video Journalism Award in 2014 and 2015 from the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Colum founded Geared Content Studios, VerticalScope's in-house branded content division and works to find ways to integrate brands organically into content.
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