Rolls-Royce Phantom 102EX electric car exposed in prestigious photos
We've gone hands-on with the gorgeous experimental electric Rolls Royce Phantom. Check out our photos of the environmentally friendly luxury car, and read up on the specs.
Rolls-Royce might not be the brand you'd normally associate with tree-hugging electric power, but the Goodwood-based car company's embracing mother nature, and has given Crave a peek at an experimental electric version of its iconic Phantom saloon car.
Click through the gallery above to ogle the fanciest car you've ever laid eyes on, or have your butler operate the mouse thing for you.
Codenamed the 102EX, the electric Phantom boasts what's most likely the biggest battery ever strapped to an electric vehicle. It's a lithium-ion affair, with a capacity of 71kWh, which we're told gives the car a maximum range of 125 miles, and a more modest 100 miles if you're heavy on the accelerator and crank up the air-con.
That isn't particularly impressive, but Rolls Royce owners won't want to travel that far anyway -- 100 miles is more than enough to get you from embassy to embassy, or out to your private airfield.
Depending on what kind of charger you're using, loading the 102EX with crackly electrical power will take somewhere between 8 and 24 hours. There's the option to charge via induction pad too when you park the car over a special rubber mat. Check it out in the photos.
Despite ditching the V12 engine, the 102EX doesn't compromise much when it comes to speed. Its velocity is capped at 100mph, but it goes from 0-60 in 7.8 seconds -- a little slower than the regular Phantom, which can do it in 5.7 seconds. That said, it does offer silent acceleration, which might passingly entertain wealthy Londoners as they sneak up on unsuspecting cyclists.
The 102EX is just a prototype, so you won't be able to buy one any time soon (not that we'd ever be able to afford one anyway). This car is Rolls-Royce testing the waters to see how its prestigious and discerning customers react to the idea of an electric luxury car. We like it, but what do we know?
Would you be happy to be seen showing up at top-secret New World Order meetings in the 102EX? Let us know in the comments, or on our Facebook wall.