Date: 02/03/2011

Rolls-Royce' luxury electric car charges wirelessly

One of the world's costly luxury carmaker Rolls-Royce is trying out electric-luxury car by launching electric powered limousine. Apart from the normal luxury features you get in gasoline car, this car has another luxury feature; the car owner/driver has the option to charge the car wirelessly by using induction technique. The model number of this car is phantom 102EX, also to be known as the Phantom Experimental Electric (EE).

Torsten Muller-Otvos, CEO of Rolls-Royce says, "The alternative drive-train we choose must deliver an authentic Rolls-Royce experience. It must be a technology that is right for our customers, our brand and which sets us on a sound footing for a sustainable future. That is why this project is so important."

Rolls-Royce intent to carefully test the opinions and reactions to alternative drive-train options of a range of stakeholders including owners, enthusiasts, members of the public and the media

The key features and specifications of this green-luxury includes:
--Two electric motors rated 145KW mounted on the rear sub-frame. These motors are connected to a single speed transmission with integrated differential.
--Delivers a maximum power output of 290kW and torque of 800Nm available over a wide band compared to 338kW for standard Phantom with maximum torque of 720Nm, delivered at 3,500rpm.
-- Lithium-Nickel-Cobalt-Manganese-Oxide (a variant of lithium-ion chemistry) battery chemistry with high energy density of 230Wh/kg is used to achieve a range of 200KM between re-charges. The battery pack of capacity of 71KWh delivers a peak current of 850 A at 338V DC.
-- Made with Aluminium spaceframe for the lightness and other Aluminium advantage.
-- Vehicle accelerates from 0 to 60mph in under eight seconds (5.7 seconds in standard Phantom), with top speed limited to 160kph.

Charging is possible both by three phase (8 hours) and single phase (in 20 hours). And interesting part in this car is, it can re-charge wirelessly by using induction charging, by aligning the induction pad in the car close to the induction pad on the ground, so that they get magnetically coupled.

Rolls-Royce says it has no plans to build a production version of this car.