Perfecting the magic carpet: Rolls-Royce Spectre EV resumes testing

By Sam Phillips

29 Jul 2022

The Rolls-Royce Spectre EV has commenced a second phase of development in southern France, during which the marque’s first electric car will travel more than 625,000km (403,891 miles).

Revealed at the end of 2021, the Rolls-Royce Spectre EV will travel 2.5 million kilometres during its testing programme, simulating an average of more than 400 years of use for a typical Rolls-Royce.

Earlier this year the Spectre was tested in extreme conditions in Arjeplog, Sweden, 55km (34 miles) south of the Arctic Circle.

The testing programme in the French Riviera will be split into two parts, beginning at the Autodrome de Miramas proving ground in Provence. The second phase of testing will then move into the surrounding countryside on normal roads.

Rolls-Royce has promised that the suspension of the new Spectre will deliver the same level of comfort as its combustion engined forebears and will be akin to a “magic carpet ride” quality.

The new electronic suspension technology will continue to be developed on the roads of the French Riviera.

The suspension is able to use the vehicle’s sat-nav to read the road ahead, then decouple the anti-roll bars allowing each wheel to act independently. This should improve ride quality on harsher road surfaces, according to Rolls-Royce.

If the sat-nav detects a corner, the suspension technology can recouple the ant-roll bars and stiffen the dampers to “ensure effortless entry and exit”.

Following wind tunnel testing and digital modelling, Rolls-Royce says it has successfully reduced the drag coefficient of the Spectre to just 0.25 Cd, down from a predicted 0.26 Cd.

The new Spectre features the brand’s redesigned Spirit of Ecstasy mascot which sits at the very front of the bonnet.

“It is no exaggeration to state that Spectre is the most anticipated Rolls-Royce ever,” said Rolls-Royce Motor Cars CEO, Torsten Müller-Ötvös.

“This latest testing phase proves a suite of advanced technologies that underpin a symbolic shift for Rolls-Royce as it progresses towards a bright, bold, all-electric future. This will secure the ongoing relevance of our brand for generations to come.”

The firm added that the Spectre was 40% complete after its initial winter testing.

Rolls-Royce says the Spectre will still be tested for a further one million kilometres before it can enter production.

The new Spectre will arrive next year with first customer deliveries starting towards the end of 2023.