UAE. As part of the Rolls-Royce 102EX World Tour, the Phantom Experimental Electric arrived to the UAE on the second week of October to serve as a test bed and gauge customer opinion in the region.

Starting off from the iconic Burj Al Arab Hotel of Dubai, which holds one of the largest Rolls-Royce Fleets in the world, the Phantom 102EX was driven by a number of current Rolls-Royce customers in the UAE as well as regional media and enthusiasts. Their experience with this established alternative drive-train technology was shared directly with Rolls-Royce Motor Cars along with their thoughts and concerns on the concept of an electric Rolls-Royce.

James Crichton, Regional Director of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in Middle East & Africa greeted the 102EX regional customer trials by addressing the fundamental motives behind the 102EX: “Does an all-electric drive-train truly befit the brand and deliver an authentic Rolls-Royce experience for customers? This will become clearer when the test programme is complete at the end of the year. We have no plans to build a production version of this car. The Phantom Experimental Electric’s role is purely that of a trial base, designed to explore established BEV technologies, to pose as well as to answer questions.”

And being one of the first executives in the region to drive the Phantom 102EX, Heinrich Morio,   the General Manager of Burj Al Arab Hotel commented: “Driving the Rolls-Royce Phantom 102EX certainly exceeded my expectations. The car drives even smoother than the conventional powered version. Had I not experienced it myself I would not have believed that a battery powered car of the size and magnitude of a Rolls-Royce Phantom could be so powerful.” He continues; “We have a fleet of Rolls-Royce vehicles and our guests appreciate being transported in ultimate luxury.  Given our continued commitment to deliver the ultimate in luxury to our guests and green initiatives, we would certainly consider having the 102EX as part of our fleet of Rolls-Royce cars.”

Prior to landing in Dubai, the Phantom Experimental Electric had been touring the world, most recently in Japan. The 102EX has also captured opinions from Singapore, Spain, Germany Switzerland as well as other countries. After a fortnight stay in Dubai, the car was flown to the United States where it will give American customers a feel for Electric Luxury.

Each of the 102EX’s motors is power rated to 145kW, giving the Phantom Experimental Electric a maximum power output of 290 kW and torque of 800 Nm available from standstill. This compares with 338kW for the standard Phantom with maximum torque of 720 Nm, delivered at 3,500 rpm.

The Nickel Cobalt Manganese battery chemistry holds around 230 Wh/kg, a high energy density which is important in achieving an acceptable range between re-charges. Pre-launch tests suggests that the Phantom EE should run to a range of up to 200km. Acceleration from 0 to 96kph is achieved in under eight seconds (5.7 seconds in standard Phantom), with a top speed limited to 160 kph, all delivered on an effortless wave of torque.

For more information on the Rolls-Royce Phantom Experimental Electric, or the 102EX World Tour, please visit www.electricluxury.com.

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