Rolls-Royce roll out Phantom electric

The English company - now a division of BMW - will use the one-off Phantom 102EX to see how customers respond to a fully electric-powered car, and will take it on a tour of Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America.  It will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show on March 1.

"We have engineered the world's first battery electric vehicle for the ultra-luxury segment," chief executive Torsten Muller-Otvos says in a statement.

"With this vehicle, we begin an exploration into alternative drive-trains, seeking clarity on which alternative technologies may be suitable to drive Rolls-Royce motor cars of the future."

The company wants to ascertain how long the car can drive between re-charges and how it operates in extreme weather conditions, but there are no plans yet to develop a production version.

"I must be convinced that any alternative drive-train we choose for the future delivers an authentic Rolls-Royce experience," Muller-Otvos says.

"It must be a technology that is right for our customers, our brand and which sets us on a sound footing for a sustainable future."