Rolls-Royce Scraps Electric Car Target as “Drivers Prefer V12 Engines”
Rolls-Royce has become the latest carmaker to scrap plans to ditch petrol vehicles, with the British carmaker saying many customers prefer the feel of a V12 engine over electric motors.
The Telegraph has the story.
The 120 year-old manufacturer outlined plans five years ago to go all-electric by 2030 but said on Wednesday that it would continue to produce internal combustion engine cars into the next decade.
The company said customers, who typically pay more than £300,000 for one of its luxury vehicles, were continuing to ask for petrol cars.
Chris Brownridge, the Chief Executive, also pointed to softer Government EV targets for the change in approach.
Rolls-Royce, which is owned by BMW, had set a target in 2021 to produce only electric cars when it unveiled its “Spectre” EV.
Brownridge said on Wednesday that Rolls-Royce would keep making cars featuring its smooth V12 engine.
“We recognise some clients would rather have a V12 engine. The V12 is part of our history,” Brownridge said, according to the Times.
It is the latest car manufacturer to abandon or water down EV targets, following such as Bentley, Aston Martin and Ferrari. Bentley said on Tuesday that it would cut around 300 jobs as it prepares to launch its first EVs.
Many companies that have backed away from EV targets have said that drivers of high-performance cars prefer the responsiveness and feeling of driving a petrol car and are not prepared for electric.
Worth reading in full.