Rolls-Royce is having an enviable problem as it considers expanding its planned first run of production of its first electric car. The Spectre, which the company revealed last October, has been heavily booked.
Eager customers have over-subscribed the two-door luxury car, surpassing the company’s expectations. Rolls-Royce plans to start producing and delivering the Wraith replacement later this year in the fourth quarter of 2023.
CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos said to journalists, “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.” (via Automotive News)
The Spectre is expected to become one of Rolls-Royce’s cash cows after the Cullinan SUV and Ghost sedan. It costs about $400,000 and offers 320 miles (515km) of driving range thanks to its large battery pack and aerodynamic design.
Rolls-Royce plans to only offer electric vehicles by the end of the decade.
The BMW-owned brand also reveals the Spectre will be profitable from day one. This will be a welcome difference from other EV makers that usually cope with losses on their models. Contributing to the high profitability is buyers’ preference for customizing options most times, boosting the price.
Rolls-Royce sold 6,021 units in 2022, a record for the brand.
