The future of Rolls Royce could be changing, and for the better. In a bid to reduce the carbon footprint the conservative luxury car-maker has admitted it could one day produce electric vehicles.
In a recent article with The Independent Tom Purves, the boss of the BMW-owned Rolls Royce Motor Cars said ‘even a brand as obsessed with its history has to keep one eye on the future, and a diesel, hybrid or even full-electric Roller is not out of the question.’
However an electric Rolls is nothing more than a possibility. Mr. Purves continued, ‘it is not clear yet whether electric cars are truly the answer. Even hybrid technology is not necessarily in a form that is entirely appropriate.’
Nevertheless countenancing the prospect is a massive step for a world-renowned brand that is powered by a massive petrol engine. Charging a minimum of £300,000 for their cars, Tom Purves went on to say that ‘our customers are not bothered about what’s under the bonnet, they are bothered about how it behaves. But they do expect us to be at least contemporary, so if I take the view that the green agenda is nothing to do with us then we will have difficulties in the future.’
Reducing Carbon Emissions Requires Action
Talks of a future electric Rolls Royce are especially appreciated in the light of a recent report released from the UK Government about carbon dioxide. Each year 2.7 million tonnes is produced and MPs warn not enough is being done to meet the UK's own targets on emissions. Furthermore under the new Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) scheme, if improvements are not made to its performance, the Government could have to pay money to private sector firms.
The scheme which will involve 5,000 organisations requires that they buy ‘allowances’ costing £12 a tonne for all the CO2 they admit each year. With the purpose of seeing who can effectually cut their emissions, those that succeed receive their original payment plus a bonus. Whereas those that perform the worst face being penalised by receiving less back than they paid in.
Which is why Rolls Royce needs to implement a new model. Currently the three-tonne Phantom which produces more than 370 grammes per kilometre of carbon emissions is more than twice as environmentally unfriendly as the average car.
What to Expect From Rolls Royce
However with the possibility of the electric Rolls Royce still on the drawing board, a new model, the Ghost, is due to be released at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. According to the company, the new model nicknamed ‘Baby Rolls’ is substantially more carbon efficient than the Phantom. ‘Each new car is a step forward, environmentally,’ said Mr. Purves. The electric Rolls Royce may not be here just yet, but it can’t be too long before designs are underway for a future motor show to reveal the latest and carbon efficient Rolls Royce in their showrooms.
Rebecca Campbell - Rebecca Campbell is a recent graduate from Roehampton University, London. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and News Media ...
