Rolls-Royce has confirmed that it is developing an all-new vehicle called the Silent Shadow as the ultra-luxurious company prepares to offer its clients a fully electric vehicle this decade.
Last year, the automaker filed a trademark application with the German patent office for the name Silent Shadow, a reference to the Silver Shadow model that was produced from 1965 until 1980.
However, Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes, the CEO of Rolls-Royce, has not announced a possible launch date for the vehicle.
"That is still a secret," he said in an interview with Bloomberg. "But it will of course obviously be a brand-new Rolls-Royce, rest assured."
Regulation is catching up with automakers, with many countries, including the UK.K, seeking to prohibit the sale of combustion-engine vehicles.
While the sound of a Ferrari's engine is appealing, Mueller-Oetvoes believes that the quieter tones of Rolls-Royces work well with battery power.
"Electrification fits perfect with Rolls-Royce, it's torquey, it's super-silent," he said. "We are not known for roaring loud engines and exhaust noises whatsoever, and that is a big benefit."
According to TopSpeed, the Silent Shadow would most likely utilize battery technology from the BMW iX, courtesy of a $3.2 billion battery supply deal with Samsung SDI. The Rolls-Royce EV might have a range of roughly 300 miles with the same battery technology, but what's really essential is that the silent nature of EVs will mesh well with a brand like Rolls-Royce.
Indeed, it is the one concern that the company does not share with other automakers like McLaren, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and even parent company BMW, whose vehicles are usually expected to emit a particularly beautiful soundtrack.
While the pandemic reduced vehicle demand in several regions, Rolls-Royce's production run for the year is fully booked. Orders began to grow sharply in the fourth quarter of last year, as the pandemic unleashed a free-spending attitude among the company's clients, Mueller-Oetvoes said.
