Early feedback on the new Rolls-Royce electric concept car shows that drivers like the power and quiet performance but consider driving range to be an issue.
Known as the 102EX Phantom Experimental Electric, the new prototype incorporates a massive high-energy battery and offers a range of more than 120 miles. But it still may not be enough for the ultra-luxury segment addressed by the company.
In tests, Rolls-Royce says the 102EX Phantom Experimental Electric is quiet and powerful, but possibly short on driving range. Photo courtesy of Rolls-Royce.
"The feedback we've received to date in the UK, Singapore, and China is that greater range would be required, even if the drivers themselves wouldn't use it," Emily Dungey, a project manager for the 102EX, told Design News. "It's mainly so they don’t get anxious."
The vehicle, rolled out at the Geneva Motor Show in March, was built as a way for the company to open the door to alternative powertrains and determine whether an all-electric unit can deliver the company's signature Rolls-Royce experience.
Rolls-Royce says the 102EX has the largest passenger car battery in the world. Weighing in at about 1,400lb, the vehicle's lithium-ion pack is more than twice the mass of the Nissan Leaf's 660lb battery. At 71kWh, it also offers almost three times as much energy as the Leaf's 24kWh pack. The 102EX needs all that extra energy, however, because it weighs in at about 6,600lb, compared to the Leaf's 3,500.
Rolls-Royce engineers designed the massive battery pack to fit in the engine bay that was vacated by the conventional Phantom's 6.75-liter engine. To achieve an extremely high energy density that is said to reach 240Wh/kg, they employed large format lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese-oxide cells.
Beth: Rolls-Royce seemed more interested in making sure the battery fit in the existing engine bay, so they wouldn't have to re-design the vehicle. Their use of a 240 Wh/kg battery is key there. With a lower energy density (140 Wh/kg is more typical today), the battery would hav been much bigger and heavier.
I find the point that the battery for the Phantom could cost between $35,000 and $70,000 mind boggling. Just goes to show you what luxury can afford. Any sense of what kind of special considerations Rolls Royce's performance and quiet requirements have in terms of EV development?
Ivan: Most automakers (Rolls-Royce included) don't want to talk about the price of electric car batteries, so this is a very slippery subject. Often, you'll hear estimates of about $500 to $600/kWh but these are typically given without including the price of the cooling and electronic control system. The National Academy of Engineering estimated that total EV battery cost is more than $1,000/kWh. Toyota said the same in 2010. Tesla and Nissan have said their cost is $500/kWh, but, again, this is believed to be the price for the cells, not the entire system. I talked to Pike Research this morning, and they said they are inclined to believe that EV batteries typically cost $800 - $1,000/kWh. To be fair, I think it's best to give a price for the entire system, since cooling is an absolute requirement for lithium-ion battery chemistries. If you really want to pin it down, I think Pike's number is as good as you'll get.
There are a couple of interesting points and facts in this article. The 120 mile range is better than most other cars. The "range anxiety" issue remains though even if the driver does not need it or expect to use it.
The battery pack is indeed large, heavy and expensive. 5 modules, at 1400 lbs is a big piece of the weight margin for the car. The cost per KwH is stated as $500 to $1K. I would like to see this pinned down a bit more.
The battery chemistry is stated to be Lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese etc..... so one would think the advances in lithium chemistry are finding their way into new designs.
Th limitations still appear to center around the battery packs' energy density and cost. It would seem that a doubling of the energy density and reducing the cost by half or better is going to be necessary to make the design truly useful and get it into the mainstream.
Tesla Motors plans to roll out a “compelling, affordable electric car” that will sell for about half the price of its high-profile Model S by the end of 2016, company chairman Elon Musk said last week.
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