The electric age does not escape even the luxury brand Rolls-Royce. The British manufacturer has prepared the Specter electric coupe, the prototype of which has already driven almost 2 million kilometers. Further tests are underway in Africa.
The British Rolls-Royce presented its first electric car around mid-October last year. Almost 5.5 meters long and weighing 3 tons, the Specter luxury coupe should reach customers in the last quarter of this year. The manufacturer is now putting the car through road tests, during which the Specter is expected to cover more than 2.5 million kilometers, of which it has completed almost 2 million.
Tests for the new electric car were designed to simulate nearly 400 years of normal operation, according to Rolls-Royce. The brand does not elaborate on how it arrived at such a number of years, but if it only takes into account annual mileage, then it considers an average annual mileage of around six thousand kilometers as “normal operation” for its cars.
Tests of the Specter model started in the winter of 2021, 55 kilometers from the Arctic Circle in the Swedish city of Arjeplog. In temperatures around -40°C, the designers there they tuned the car’s behavior on snow and icewhile also investigating the long-term effect of extreme cold on the battery and other electrical systems.
Subsequently, the Specter spent part of 2022 in the warmer climate of France, where it not only moved in normal traffic, but also underwent tests at the historic Autodrome de Miramas test site. But the test operation, which according to the brand is the strictest in its history, did not end there.
The prototype is now approaching two million kilometers as part of road tests in extremely high temperatures taking place in South Africa. High temperatures reach up to 50°C, with test riders using a variety of surfaces and environments, so the Specter is not immune to dust, dirt and gravel.
Rolls-Royce says that extensive and rigorous testing is necessary so that even with a car with a new type of drive, it can provide customers with the same experience and quality without compromise that they are used to. The brand pays attention to even the smallest details, and among the examples it cites more than 1,500 hours dedicated to the tuning of regenerative braking. For example, how the soundproofing of the interior and the impression of its lighting change in extreme temperatures and different solar intensities are also being investigated.
Once testing in Africa is complete, all data collected is analyzed and minor improvements are applied, the Specter will enter the final phase of trials. This will be intensive testing in all temperature conditions, so once again it will give itself an accelerated spectrum from extreme cold to extreme heat.
The final 500,000 kilometers will be devoted to testing, for which Rolls-Royce uses the label Lifestyle Analysis. He explains it as testing the Specter in all the “super-luxurious situations” typical Rolls-Royce owners might experience.
We are curious to see how successful the Rolls-Royce Specter will be with customers and the professional public. For now, at least you can enjoy the photos in the gallery that Rolls-Royce took as part of the ongoing driving tests in Africa.
