With Tesla recently slashing Model S Plaid and Model X Plaid prices by up to 15 percent and Lucid Motors launching more affordable variants of the Air luxury EV, one would be tempted to assume that selling high-end EVs isn't as lucrative an activity as it used to be.
That doesn't seem to be the case with Rolls-Royce and its Spectre ultra-luxury EV, for which the automaker is reporting higher than expected orders despite the fact production hasn't even started.
Actually, Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös said on a call with journalists earlier this month the carmaker will actually have to increase the production run for its first electric model if orders continue at the current rate.
"The order intake for the Spectre is far better at this moment than we would have expected. We have a couple of months to go [before production starts], but if that trend continues then I'm pretty sure we need to adjust our plans."
Since the car's unveiling in October 2022, Rolls-Royce has built up an order book that stretches "far" into 2023, Müller-Ötvös was quoted as saying by Automotive News Europe. He didn't provide any numbers, though.
Gallery: 2023 Rolls-Royce Spectre
Rolls-Royce plans to start deliveries of the Spectre, which replaces the Wraith as the company's two-door offering, in the fourth quarter of this year. The executive said the Spectre will be Rolls-Royce's "third pillar" of sales after the Cullinan SUV and Ghost sedan.
Based on Rolls-Royce's aluminum Architecture of Luxury developed with EV drivetrains in mind, the Spectre will be one of the most expensive mass-produced electric vehicles, with a starting price around $400,000 in the US.
This will position it between the Cullinan and the flagship Phantom sedan. Interestingly, Müller-Ötvös said Rolls-Royce expects the Spectre to achieve the "same levels" of profitability as the rest of its lineup.
Rolls-Royce did not reveal the battery capacity for the Spectre but disclosed the pack's weight of 700 kilograms (1,543 pounds), which suggests the capacity exceeds 100 kilowatt-hours. Previous reports speculated that the Spectre could borrow the 102 kWh lithium-ion pack from the BMW i7, but that hasn't been confirmed yet.
The luxury brand has announced the 2024 Spectre will have a range of 320 miles (520 kilometers) on a single charge on the WLTP test cycle thanks to its large battery pack and aerodynamic body style. The Spectre is the first step towards a fully electric lineup Rolls-Royce aims to achieve by the end of 2030.
