Rolls-Royce to skip hybrids and go straight to EVs

As AR1.com has been telling you for five years – it seems the industry's future propulsion method is sealed: electric cars will begin to take priority over the internal combustion engine. While some automakers buy time and green credentials with hybrid systems, Rolls-Royce has zero plans for such a stop-gap.

Autocar reports that Rolls-Royce is not looking into expanding its portfolio of vehicles with hybrid technology. Instead, the marque will pursue electric cars.

“Electrification is the way forward–and there will be no in between steps for us like hybridization," Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos told the British publication. “It is the propulsion system for the future, make no error. There is a time–nobody can predict when–when there will be no combustion engines. That will take a long, long time, but it will happen."

But, even speaking of electric powertrains, Muller-Otvos said only when the technology is suitably developed will Rolls-Royce swap out V-12 engines for batteries and electric motors. Recall, Rolls-Royce in 2011 tested the waters with an electric Phantom concept but found the lack of range and charging infrastructure to be too much of a shortcoming. Even with today's battery technology, it's not quite up to Rolls-Royce standards.

“The Rolls-Royce brand is not, in a way, a game-changer when it comes to revolutionary technology. Our customers are doing so for reasons of utmost luxury, so there can be no imperfections."