An UK-based restoration and electrification company has beaten British luxury vehicle manufacturer Rolls-Royce to the EV punch, announcing that it has begun production of the world’s only electrified Rolls-Royce vehicles.
Lunaz Design, based in the automotive Mecca of Silverstone, England, has announced that it will begin converting 30 classic Rolls-Royce cars into electrified versions available for purchase.
The company, which “has designed and developed an electric powertrain to breathe new life into classic cars,” sources a limited number of classic vehicles and converts them into electrified, fully restored versions, “[preserving] the beauty and [transforming] the vehicles to provide both high performance and stress-free driving experience.”
So far, the company has converted some of the industry’s most celebrated classic vehicles – including a 1953 Jaguar XK120.
Lunaz Design has also now completed the re-engineering process for a 1961 Rolls-Royce Phantom V, including ground-up restoration and the incorporation of Lunaz’s proprietary electric powertrain and full suite of hardware and software upgrades. Lunaz will also sell electrified Rolls-Royce Silver Clouds.
Unsurprisingly, however, owning an electrified Phantom V or Silver Cloud will not come cheap.
While they will be available in every global market, allocation can only be secured through direct relationship with the factory, and prices – not including local taxes – for a Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud by Lunaz starts at £350,000 ($A640,500), and for a Rolls-Royce Phantom by Lunaz starting at £500,000 ($A914,000).
“The time is right for an electric Rolls-Royce,” said David Lorenz, the founder of Lunaz.
“We are answering the need to marry beautiful classic design with the usability, reliability and sustainability of an electric powertrain. More than ever we are meeting demand for clean-air expressions of the most beautiful and luxurious cars in history. We are proud to make a classic Rolls-Royce relevant to a new generation.”
Rolls-Royce had already announced that it hoped to be producing only electric versions of its models by 2040 but has also declared it will not deliver its first full EV until significant charging infrastructure is available.
In the meantime, then, if you are wanting an electrified version of a Rolls-Royce classic, Lunaz Design’s reconstructions are your only choice. Each model is stripped back to its base metal, 3D-scanned, weighed, and then fully restored.
Only then is the eight-cylinder engine and drivetrain ripped out and Lunaz’ conversion and re-engineering process begun.
Part of the reason for this process is, as the company explains, so that “every Lunaz customer the scope to inject their own design and technology desires under the guiding hand of Design Director, Jen Holloway.”
“My approach to design is defined by Sir Henry Royce’s philosophy that ‘small things make perfection and perfection is no small thing’,” explained Jen Holloway, Design Director, Lunaz.
“Together with our clients we work to create relevant expressions of the most significant cars in history. I am proud to give new purpose to some of the most beautiful objects ever created.”
In the end, each of the Rolls-Royce Phantoms by Lunaz will come with one of the world’s largest battery packs, at 120kWh, with a range of nearly 500 kilometres. Meanwhile, the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud by Lunaz will boast an 80kWh battery which will also provide a range similar to the Phantom.
“A Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud has always stood as the most beautiful expression of long-range luxury touring,” said Lorenz. “Electrification brings a new dimension of usability and driver engagement to some of the most significant cars ever made.”
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.