Rolls-Royce CEO says hybrid powertrain can't deliver the brand's trademark ‘waftability'

NEW YORK — As much of the auto industry pivots toward hybrid vehicles as demand for battery power fails to meet high-flying volume expectations, one carmaker is thinking differently.

Rolls-Royce's new CEO, Chris Brownridge, said the brand won't compromise the "waftability and effortless power" that characterize its high-end vehicles.

"A hybrid is not something we would envisage," Brownridge said, because it would not deliver these characteristics.

However, stringent Asian and European emissions regulations and millionaires concerned about their environmental footprint threaten the long-term practicality of the V-12 engines that have powered the platinum-plated brand for nearly a century.

That has Rolls-Royce betting on electrons, not fossil fuels, for its next century.

The brand has announced it intends to have an all-electric lineup by the end of 2030, with combustion engines being retired after the 2031 model year. Rolls-Royce will triple its electric vehicle lineup by the end of 2028, introducing a full-size crossover and a large sedan.

But Brownridge hinted that the British marque will keep its powertrain options open.

"We have the ability to go all-electric by 2030, but we will be led by our clients," Brownridge told Automotive News at a media event here Sept. 25.

"Different regions of the world will progress in terms of their powertrain at different rates," he said. "So it's important that we can accommodate that."

Early indications suggest the EV bet is promising. Demand for Rolls-Royce's first zero-emission model is robust.

Wait times for U.S. deliveries of the Spectre coupe initially stretched beyond 18 months. They now hover around six months, with complex builds extending past a year.

The dual-motor Spectre has 584 hp and a 0 to 60 mph time of 4.4 seconds. A beefy 102-kilowatt-hour battery makes for a low center of gravity and an EPA-estimated 264 miles of driving range.

"That drivetrain amplifies the characteristics of a Rolls-Royce," Brownridge said. "I'm feeling very confident about the future because whatever our clients want, we can deliver it."

The Spectre is powering Rolls-Royce's future in another way. The EV is a growth engine for the brand's bespoke business, which delivers dreams to driveways.

About 75 to 80 percent of early orders have significant customization, driving the average transaction price to some $550,000, or 30 percent higher than the starting sticker.

Rolls-Royce's bespoke business, which transforms series production models into one-of-a-kind custom statements, is a strategic priority for the purveyor of exotic cars, which sold only 6,000 vehicles globally last year.

"Our goal isn't to grow volume," Brownridge said. "Our goal is to grow the value for our clients."

North America holds the largest share of the brand's bespoke business revenue, accounting for about a third. One in every three Rolls-Royce vehicles sold in the region incorporates significant personalization. Custom orders typically add 20 percent to the price, with high-end commissions potentially doubling or tripling that premium.

Rolls-Royce recently opened a design studio in Manhattan's trendy Meatpacking District to turbocharge its bespoke business.

The New York Private Office is a splashy 6,000-square-foot affair with conversational spaces, a kitchen and terrace views of the Chelsea fashion hot spot and the Hudson River beyond.

Rolls-Royce anticipates the new outpost will boost North American bespoke revenues by up to 30 percent over the next two years.

The Private Office here, which joins similar hubs in Dubai and Shanghai, makes the high-end customization experience offered at Rolls-Royce's Goodwood, England, headquarters more accessible. A fourth studio is planned for Seoul, South Korea, later this year.

"Not every client can come to Goodwood," Brownridge said. "So Goodwood is now coming to the clients."

Establishing design teams in regions with high customer concentrations helps Rolls-Royce better dial into the zeitgeist in the world's cultural capitals.

"We're listening," Brownridge said. "It's important that we're informed about the changes in preferences and luxury trends."

The design studios cater to the imaginations of Rolls-Royce's wealthiest customers and challenge the brand's designers and craftspeople to bring those wishes to life.

"Quite often, there'll be a client who wants some level of customization beyond the norm, and that's where the Private Office comes in to make it happen," Brownridge said.

He recalled one customer who requested an exterior paint job that matched the color of his dog's eyes and an interior that mirrored its fur.

The studios provide exclusive product previews and meticulous commission consultations. Customers are assigned a dedicated bespoke client experience manager and an in-house designer.

The white-glove service is reserved for the most elaborate and valuable builds. Projects commissioned at Private Office sites include a more than $3 million Phantom Syntopia with scent-emitting headrests and a one-of-a-kind Cullinan jazzed up with an inlaid mother-of-pearl interior.

The New York Private Office manages several Spectre builds, including the Lunaflair.

That commission features a custom holographic paint inspired by a lunar halo, where light refracts through ice particles in cirrus clouds. The finish, developed over a year, comprises seven layers of lacquer, including a pearlescent coat infused with flakes of magnesium fluoride and aluminum. Rolls-Royce said the technique generates a deep metallic effect in low light, which transforms into a vibrant rainbow technicolor in bright sun.