, ,

ROLLS-ROYCE y Electric power una profecía una promesa y un compromiso

ROLLS-ROYCE y Electric power una profecía una promesa y un compromiso

Rolls-Royce reflexiona sobre la herencia de la energía eléctrica antes del anuncio histórico. La electrificación se ha promovido durante mucho tiempo como el futuro de la propulsión automotriz. Antes de más declaraciones oficiales, invitamos a los medios a reflexionar sobre la herencia única de la marca en energía eléctrica, que es anterior a la fundación de Rolls-Royce, la compañía misma, e involucra a muchos de los principales protagonistas cuyos nombres estarán asociados para siempre con ella.

  • Rolls-Royce reflexiona sobre la herencia de la energía eléctrica antes del anuncio histórico
  • Extraordinaria profecía del padre fundador, Charles Rolls, revelada
  • Rolls defendió los autos eléctricos en 1900 y consideró que el modelo Columbia era el mejor de su tipo.
  • Royce, uno de los primeros ingenieros eléctricos, suministró motores a los primeros autos eléctricos.
  • El CEO, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, se comprometió a traer Rolls-Royce eléctrico esta década
  • Visite  www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com el 29 de septiembre a las 13:00 BST para ver el próximo capítulo de esta historia.

“En abril de 1900, nuestro antepasado fundador, Charles Rolls, hizo una profecía profética sobre la electrificación automotriz. Avance más de 120 años hasta que prometí públicamente, en actas, que traeríamos al mercado el primer Rolls‑Royce totalmente eléctrico en la década actual. Y, en este momento, nuestra empresa se está embarcando en una empresa histórica para crear el primer auto súper lujoso de su tipo. Esto sucederá antes de lo que muchos creían posible, gracias a las increíbles habilidades, la experiencia, la visión y la dedicación de nuestros ingenieros, diseñadores y especialistas en la sede de Rolls-Royce.

“En este esfuerzo innovador, nos basamos en una herencia notable, única en nuestra industria. Nuestros fundadores y quienes trabajaron junto a ellos en los años de formación de la marca fueron importantes pioneros de la energía eléctrica, así como los principales expertos de su era en ingeniería automotriz. Mientras anunciamos un nuevo futuro eléctrico en Rolls-Royce, me enorgullece y me honra compartir sus historias inspiradoras, que nunca antes se habían contado en un solo lugar, y arrojar una luz fresca y fascinante sobre los primeros días de nuestra compañía”.

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Director Ejecutivo, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

INTRODUCCIÓN

La electrificación se ha promovido durante mucho tiempo como el futuro de la propulsión automotriz. Los principales fabricantes están adoptando cada vez más la tecnología de vehículos eléctricos híbridos y de batería (BEV), respaldados por la expansión de las infraestructuras de carga nacionales.

Hasta la fecha, Rolls-Royce ha comunicado su estrategia de electrificación en tres simples declaraciones:

  • La marca presentará un automóvil totalmente eléctrico esta década (2020-2030).
  • Este automóvil será un BEV puro, no un híbrido de ningún tipo.
  • Se lanzará solo cuando sea el momento adecuado y cada elemento cumpla con los estándares técnicos, estéticos y de rendimiento de Rolls-Royce.

Existe un considerable interés y especulación de los medios en torno a los planes de Rolls-Royce. Antes de más declaraciones oficiales, invitamos a los medios a reflexionar sobre la herencia única de la marca en energía eléctrica, que es anterior a la fundación de Rolls-Royce, la compañía misma, e involucra a muchos de los principales protagonistas cuyos nombres estarán asociados para siempre con ella.

¿POR QUÉ ENERGÍA ELÉCTRICA?
El motor de combustión interna (ICE) no era el único medio de propulsión de los primeros automóviles de principios del siglo XX, ni tampoco el predeterminado. De hecho, a principios de la década de 1900, los ingenieros y fabricantes inicialmente dividieron sus lealtades precisamente entre tres tecnologías competidoras: el ICE, la energía de vapor y la electricidad.

La energía de vapor, aunque bien entendida, relativamente sofisticada y, en ese momento, omnipresente en la industria y otras formas de transporte, rápidamente resultó menos práctica para su uso en automóviles. Por lo tanto, recayó en la combustión interna y la electricidad para competir por la supremacía.

La energía eléctrica perdió la batalla por dos razones principales: alcance extremadamente limitado y la ausencia de una infraestructura de carga. Un siglo después, a pesar de los avances significativos, estos siguen siendo barreras para su adopción generalizada (aunque cada vez menos), tanto en términos de tecnología como de percepción del consumidor.

Pero las características que primero atrajeron a los ingenieros a la energía eléctrica (funcionamiento silencioso, par instantáneo, tremenda potencia y ausencia de gases de escape) siguen siendo muy atractivas, especialmente para los automóviles de lujo. De hecho, algunos han especulado que, si hubiera podido resolver los problemas de autonomía y carga, Sir Henry Royce podría haber elegido solo la energía eléctrica para sus automóviles.

La idoneidad innata y perfecta de la energía eléctrica sustenta el compromiso explícito de la marca de ofrecer un Rolls-Royce totalmente eléctrico esta década. Al hacerlo, puede aprovechar una historia y un patrimonio únicos; una conexión con la energía eléctrica que es anterior a la propia empresa, y que presenta a los principales protagonistas que, entre ellos, crearían la marca de automóviles más famosa del mundo, empezando por el propio Sir Henry Royce.

SIR HENRY ROYCE
Nacido en 1863, Henry Royce fue uno de los primeros ingenieros eléctricos del mundo. Después de que su aprendizaje en Great Northern Railway se vio interrumpido por razones financieras familiares, trabajó brevemente como fabricante de herramientas en Greenwood & Batley en Leeds, donde desarrolló su primer interés en la energía eléctrica.

En 1881, se unió a Electric Light & Power Generating Company (EL&PG) en Southwark. Durante este tiempo, asistió a clases nocturnas de electricidad en el City & Guilds of London Institute, habiendo recibido solo un año de educación formal cuando era niño. Un año más tarde, con solo 19 años, se trasladó a la nueva subsidiaria de EL&PG, Lancashire Maxim-Weston Electric Co. Ltd, como electricista jefe, proporcionando iluminación de calles y teatros en la ciudad de Liverpool. Pero al cabo de dos años, la empresa quebró y el famoso Royce, trabajador y motivado, se puso en marcha por su cuenta.

Su nueva empresa, FH Royce & Co, inicialmente fabricaba pequeños electrodomésticos como timbres, lámparas, fusibles e interruptores. El negocio prosperó y pronto comenzó a producir dispositivos más grandes y complejos, como dínamos, motores eléctricos y cabrestantes. En 1902, Royce suministró motores eléctricos para Pritchett & Gold, un fabricante de baterías con sede en Londres que se había diversificado para construir automóviles eléctricos.

Aunque el propio Royce nunca construyó ni fue propietario de un automóvil eléctrico, creó motores de combustión interna que brindaban la experiencia de conducción que hoy asociamos con la propulsión eléctrica: par sin esfuerzo, funcionamiento silencioso y la sensación de un engranaje continuo y potente. Su experiencia técnica y sus logros pioneros sustentan el reclamo histórico de la marca como líder mundial en electrificación tanto en entornos sociales como de lujo.

EL HONORABLE CHARLES ROLLS
El Excmo. Charles Rolls también fue un ingeniero muy talentoso; pero su entusiasmo por la electricidad comenzó incluso antes en la vida. Cuando solo tenía nueve años, instaló un timbre eléctrico entre su dormitorio y los establos en The Hendre, el hogar ancestral de la familia en Monmouthshire. También planeó y supervisó la instalación de electricidad en las dependencias de servicio; desplegando los poderes del arte de vender que luego lo harían mundialmente famoso, persuadió a su padre, Lord Llangattock, para que pagara por él.

La pasión de Rolls por los automóviles fue igualmente precoz. En 1896, con 18 años, viajó a París y compró su primer automóvil, un Peugeot Phaeton de 3¾ hp. Dos años más tarde, cuando aún era estudiante de ingeniería en Cambridge, adquirió su único automóvil eléctrico, un vehículo de fabricación estadounidense llamado The Columbia Electric Carriage, importado al Reino Unido por Paris Singer (heredera de la dinastía de las máquinas de coser) y vendido como el coche ‘City & Suburban’. Rolls consideró esto como el mejor disponible en ese momento.

En una entrevista publicada en The Motor-Car Journal en abril de 1900, Rolls describió la propulsión eléctrica en términos que, más de un siglo después, tienen el tono de una profecía profética:
“El automóvil eléctrico es perfectamente silencioso y limpio. No hay olor ni vibración, y deberían ser muy útiles cuando se pueden organizar estaciones de carga fijas. Pero por ahora, no anticipo que serán muy útiles, al menos durante muchos años por venir”.

Rolls hizo su propia pequeña contribución para resolver el problema, al proporcionar una estación de carga de baterías en su sala de exposición de automóviles en Lillie Road en Fulham para los Broughams eléctricos privados o de alquiler que estaban de moda en Londres en ese momento.

En 1904, Charles Rolls acordó convertirse en agente del automóvil eléctrico Contal Electromobile. Pero al conocer a Henry Royce y ver su nuevo automóvil canceló el acuerdo.

Como predijo correctamente, pasaría mucho tiempo antes de que los vehículos eléctricos fueran realmente viables a cualquier escala. Pero es tentador pensar que si este emprendedor visionario hubiera sobrevivido al accidente aéreo que se cobró su vida a la temprana edad de solo 32 años, el día podría haber llegado mucho antes.

UNA SERIE DE CONEXIONES
Si bien Rolls y Royce están inmortalizados como los fundadores, otros, quizás menos conocidos, estuvieron íntima y crucialmente involucrados en los eventos que llevaron a la creación de la marca Rolls-Royce. Ellos también fueron luminarias en los mundos de la automoción y la energía eléctrica a principios del siglo XX; la historia y la marca están en deuda con todo lo siguiente:


HENRY EDMUNDS
Al principio de su carrera, Henry Royce trabajó para Brush Electrical Engineering Company Ltd, donde conoció a Henry Edmunds, el ingeniero de la empresa. Edmunds se ganó su lugar en la historia cuando, el 4 de mayo de 1904, en el Midland Hotel de Manchester, anunció: “Sr. Royce, ¿puedo presentarte a Charles Rolls?

El hombre que sería recordado por la posteridad como ‘El padrino de Rolls-Royce’ era una figura destacada por derecho propio. Amigo de Joseph Swan (el inventor de la bombilla incandescente) y de Thomas Edison (el inventor de casi todo lo demás), fue un pionero de la iluminación eléctrica, la tracción y la telefonía, y estuvo presente tanto en la primera grabación de sonido exitosa como en la primera llamada telefónica. . También creó el primer ferrocarril subterráneo electrificado del mundo, cuando persuadió al ingeniero a cargo de City & Southwick Railway de Londres (ahora la rama de la ciudad de Northern Line) para operar trenes impulsados ​​por electricidad en lugar de vapor.

En 1888, Edmunds fundó WT Glover & Company, que se convirtió en el fabricante líder mundial de cableado eléctrico. En 1894, suministró cables de iluminación para un vasto complejo portuario y polígono industrial (el primero del mundo) que servía al Canal de Navegación de Manchester: la iluminación en sí fue diseñada e instalada por Henry Royce.

No existe ninguna prueba de que Edmunds jugara algún papel en el desarrollo de los automóviles de Royce. Sin embargo, era el automovilista más experimentado entre los amigos y colegas de Royce, por lo que presumiblemente ofreció consejos y aliento de expertos mientras Royce convertía minuciosamente sus ideas en realidad.


EA CLAREMONT
La sabiduría convencional afirma que Royce cofundó FH Royce & Co con un socio, EA Claremont. Sin embargo, la investigación ha demostrado que Claremont se unió a la empresa unos seis meses después de su formación; El propio Royce escribió: “Me indujeron a fundar… una pequeña empresa en mi propio nombre” y nunca se utilizó ninguna excepto la suya.

Si bien el mito original puede tener fallas, es cierto que las carreras de los dos hombres estuvieron estrechamente entrelazadas durante muchos años. Claremont fue socio de FH Royce & Company, director general adjunto de FH Royce & Company Limited, presidente de Royce Limited y primer presidente de Rolls-Royce Limited; ambos eran también miembros del Instituto de Ingenieros Eléctricos.


CLAUDE JOHNSON
De hombros anchos, extrovertido y un vendedor talentoso, Johnson era el autodenominado ‘Guión en Rolls-Royce’. En 1903, renunció a su cargo de secretario del Automóvil Club de Gran Bretaña e Irlanda, cuyos miembros incluían al ya mencionado Henry Edmunds, para trabajar en la compañía Paris Singer’s City & Suburban Electric Carriage.

Sin embargo, después de menos de un año, Johnson se fue para unirse a CS Rolls and Co, y luego se convirtió en Director General de Rolls-Royce Ltd. Fue responsable de gran parte de la publicidad inicial de la empresa: en los anuncios producidos para los mercados del Reino Unido y Estados Unidos, describió Rolls-Royce como “un coche de gasolina tan suave y silencioso como uno eléctrico”. Y para completar la simetría, Paris Singer se convirtió en la primera propietaria del mundo de un automóvil Rolls-Royce.

ELECTRIFICACIÓN EN LA ERA DE GOODWOOD
En el espíritu de estas figuras fundadoras, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars sigue siendo un pionero de la electrificación en la actualidad. Cuando el primer Rolls-Royce totalmente eléctrico de producción llegue al mercado, será la culminación del trabajo de investigación y desarrollo que ha estado en progreso en la Casa de Rolls-Royce en Goodwood, durante más de una década.


2011 – PHANTOM EE (102EX)
En 2011, la marca lanzó Phantom Experimental Electric (EE), con nombre en código 102EX; una versión eléctrica a batería completamente operativa y legal en la carretera de su producto estrella.

Phantom EE nunca fue pensado para la producción, sino que sirvió como un banco de pruebas de trabajo para clientes, VIP, medios y entusiastas para experimentar la propulsión eléctrica y compartir sus experiencias, pensamientos y consideraciones directamente con los diseñadores e ingenieros de Rolls-Royce.

El motor de gasolina V12 de 6,75 litros y la caja de cambios del automóvil se reemplazaron por una batería de iones de litio y dos motores eléctricos montados en el bastidor auxiliar trasero, conectados a una transmisión de una sola velocidad con diferencial integrado. Este sistema daba una potencia máxima de 290kW y un par de 800Nm, frente a los 338kW y un par máximo de 720Nm, entregado a 3.500rpm, del V12 Phantom de la época.

Si bien el Phantom EE recibió elogios generalizados por su logro técnico, particularmente su silencio casi total y su impresionante entrega de par, su alcance limitado, ciclos de carga prolongados y la duración de la batería de tres años siguieron siendo obstáculos importantes que Rolls-Royce tendría que abordar para satisfacer las expectativas de sus clientes.


2016: ROLLS-ROYCE VISION NEXT 100 (103EX)
Lanzado en 2016, este concepto de automóvil radicalmente innovador se propuso definir la visión a largo plazo de la marca sobre la movilidad de lujo. Presentó el automóvil como una oferta de movilidad personal verdaderamente individualizada y una experiencia sensorial y emocional inmersiva.

El 103EX se construyó en torno a cuatro principios de diseño clave:
La carrocería de carrocería permitirá a los clientes encargar un automóvil que refleje su visión personal. Un asistente virtual y un chofer impulsado por inteligencia artificial ofrecen un viaje sin esfuerzo. El interior crea un Gran Santuario, elaborado con materiales raros y exclusivos. Y con su tamaño y escala, 5,9 metros de largo y 1,6 metros de alto, el automóvil garantiza una gran llegada al llegar a su destino.

Construido sobre una plataforma liviana avanzada y propulsado por un tren de transmisión totalmente eléctrico patentado, el automóvil es completamente autónomo.

El sufijo EX confirma que el 103EX era un automóvil puramente experimental, nunca destinado a entrar en producción. Después de un debut espectacular en Londres, el automóvil se embarcó en una gira mundial de tres años y regresó a la Casa de Rolls-Royce en Goodwood en 2019.

Visite www . Rolls – Roycemotorcars . com el 29 de septiembre a las 13:00 BST para el próximo capítulo de esta extraordinaria historia.

1
COMPARTE
/by
, ,

ROLLS-ROYCE and Electric power a prophecy a promise and an undertaking

ROLLS-ROYCE AND ELECTRIC POWER: A PROPHECY, A PROMISE AND AN UNDERTAKING

Rolls-Royce reflects on heritage of electric power ahead of historic announcement. Electrification has long been promoted as the future of automotive propulsion. Ahead of further official statements, we invite the media to reflect on the marque’s unique heritage in electric power, which pre-dates the founding of Rolls-Royce the company itself, and involves many of the principal protagonists whose names are forever associated with it.

  • Rolls-Royce reflects on heritage of electric power ahead of historic announcement
  • Extraordinary prophecy of founding father, Charles Rolls, revealed
  • Rolls championed electric cars in 1900, deeming Columbia model best of its type
  • Royce, one of the first electrical engineers, supplied motors to earliest electric cars
  • CEO, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, pledged to bring Rolls-Royce electric this decade
  • Visit www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com on 29 September at 13.00 BST for the next chapter in this story

“In April 1900, our founding forefather, Charles Rolls, made a prescient prophecy about automotive electrification.  Move forward over 120 years to when I made a public promise, on the record, that we would bring the first fully electric Rolls‑Royce to market within the current decade.  And, right now, our company is embarking on an historic undertaking to create the first, super-luxury car of its type.  This will happen sooner than many thought possible, through the incredible skills, expertise, vision and dedication of our engineers, designers and specialists at the Home of Rolls-Royce.

“In this ground-breaking endeavour, we are drawing on a remarkable heritage, unique in our industry.  Our founders and those who worked alongside them in the marque’s formative years were all important pioneers of electric power, as well as their era’s leading experts in automotive engineering.  As we herald a new electric future at Rolls-Royce, I am proud and humbled to share their inspiring stories, which have never been told in one place before, and shine a fresh and fascinating light on our company’s earliest days.”

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

INTRODUCTION

Electrification has long been promoted as the future of automotive propulsion.  Mainstream manufacturers are increasingly embracing hybrid and battery electric vehicle (BEV) technology, supported by the expansion of national charging infrastructures.

To date, Rolls-Royce has communicated its electrification strategy in three simple statements:

  • The marque will introduce an all-electric car this decade (2020 – 2030).
  • This car will be a pure BEV, not a hybrid of any kind.
  • It will be launched only when the time is right, and every element meets Rolls-Royce’s technical, aesthetic and performance standards.

There is considerable interest and media speculation surrounding Rolls-Royce’s plans.  Ahead of further official statements, we invite the media to reflect on the marque’s unique heritage in electric power, which pre-dates the founding of Rolls-Royce the company itself, and involves many of the principal protagonists whose names are forever associated with it.

WHY ELECTRIC POWER?
The internal combustion engine (ICE) was not the only, nor the default, means of propulsion for early motor cars at the beginning of the 20th century.  Indeed, in the early 1900s engineers and manufacturers initially divided their loyalties precisely between three competing technologies: the ICE, steam power and electricity.

Steam power, though well understood, relatively sophisticated and, at the time, ubiquitous in industry and other forms of transport, quickly proved less practical for use in motor cars.  It therefore fell to internal combustion and electricity to vie for supremacy.

Electric power lost the battle for two main reasons: extremely limited range and the absence of a charging infrastructure.  A century later, despite significant advances, these remain as barriers to widespread adoption (although increasingly less so), both in terms of technology and consumer perception.

But the characteristics that first drew engineers to electric power – silent operation, instant torque, tremendous power and the absence of exhaust fumes – remain highly alluring, particularly for luxury motor cars.  Indeed, some have speculated that, had he been able to solve the range and charging issues, Sir Henry Royce might have chosen electric power alone for his motor cars.

The innate and perfect suitability of electric power underpins the marque’s explicit commitment to deliver an all-electric Rolls-Royce this decade.  In doing so, it can draw on a unique history and heritage; a connection with electric power that pre-dates the company itself, and featuring the main protagonists who would, between them, create the world’s most famous automotive brand – beginning with Sir Henry Royce himself.

SIR HENRY ROYCE
Born in 1863, Henry Royce was one of the world’s first electrical engineers.  After his apprenticeship with the Great Northern Railway was cut short for family financial reasons, he worked briefly as a toolmaker at Greenwood & Batley in Leeds, where he first developed an interest in electrical power.

In 1881, he joined the Electric Light & Power Generating Company (EL&PG) in Southwark. During this time, he attended evening classes in electrics at the City & Guilds of London Institute, having received only a year of formal schooling as a child.  A year later, aged just 19, he moved to the EL&PG’s new subsidiary, the Lancashire Maxim-Weston Electric Co. Ltd, as Chief Electrician, providing street and theatre lighting to the city of Liverpool.  But within two years, the company folded, and the famously driven, hardworking Royce struck out on his own.

His new enterprise, F H Royce & Co, initially made small electrical appliances such as doorbells, lamps, fuses and switches.  The business thrived, and was soon producing larger, more complex devices including dynamos, electric motors and winches.  In 1902, Royce supplied electric motors for Pritchett & Gold, a London-based battery-maker that had diversified into building electric cars.

Though Royce himself never built or owned an electric motor car, he created internal combustion engines that delivered the driving experience we associate with electric propulsion today: effortless torque, silent running and the sensation of one continuous, powerful gear. His technical expertise and pioneering achievements underpin the marque’s historical claim as a world leader in electrification in both luxury and social settings.

THE HONOURABLE CHARLES ROLLS
The Hon. Charles Rolls was also a highly gifted engineer; but his enthusiasm for electricity began even earlier in life.  When he was just nine years old, he rigged up an electric bell between his bedroom and the stables at The Hendre, the family’s ancestral home in Monmouthshire.  He also planned and supervised the installation of electricity in the servants’ quarters; deploying the powers of salesmanship that would later make him world-famous, he persuaded his father, Lord Llangattock, to pay for it.

Rolls’ passion for motor cars was equally precocious.  In 1896, aged 18, he travelled to Paris and bought his first car, a 3¾ hp Peugeot Phaeton. Two years later, while still an engineering student at Cambridge, he acquired his only electric-powered car, an American-made vehicle called The Columbia Electric Carriage, imported into the UK by Paris Singer (heir to the sewing machine dynasty) and sold as the ‘City & Suburban’ car. Rolls regarded this as the best then available.

In an interview published in The Motor-Car Journal in April 1900, Rolls described electric propulsion, in terms that, over a century later, carry the ring of prescient prophecy:
“The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean.  There is no smell or vibration, and they should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged.  But for now, I do not anticipate that they will be very serviceable – at least for many years to come.”

Rolls made his own small contribution to solving the problem, by providing a battery-charging station at his car showroom on Lillie Road in Fulham for the private or rentable electric Broughams that were all the rage in London at the time.

In 1904, Charles Rolls agreed to become an agent for the Contal Electromobile electric car.  But on meeting Henry Royce and seeing his new motor car, he cancelled the agreement.

As he correctly predicted, it would be a long time before electric vehicles became truly viable on any scale.  But it is tempting to think that had this visionary entrepreneur survived the air crash that claimed his life at the young age of just 32, the day might have come rather sooner.

A SERIES OF CONNECTIONS
While Rolls and Royce are immortalised as the founders, others, perhaps less well-known, were intimately and crucially involved in the events that led to the creation of the Rolls-Royce marque.  They, too, were luminaries in the worlds of motoring and electric power around the beginning of the 20th century; history and the marque are indebted to all of the following:


HENRY EDMUNDS
In his early career, Henry Royce worked for Brush Electrical Engineering Company Ltd, where he met Henry Edmunds, the company’s engineer.  Edmunds earned his place in history when, on 4 May 1904 at the Midland Hotel in Manchester, he announced: “Mr. Royce, may I introduce you to Charles Rolls”.

The man who would be remembered by posterity as ‘The Godfather of Rolls-Royce’ was a towering figure in his own right.  A friend of Joseph Swan (the inventor of the incandescent lightbulb) and Thomas Edison (the inventor of almost everything else), he was a pioneer of electric lighting, traction and telephony, and was present at both the first successful sound recording and telephone call.  He also brought into being the world’s first electrified underground railway, when he persuaded the engineer in charge of London’s City & Southwick Railway (now the City branch of the Northern Line) to operate trains powered by electricity rather than steam.

In 1888, Edmunds established W T Glover & Company, which became the world’s leading manufacturer of electricity cabling.  In 1894, he supplied lighting cables for a vast dock complex and industrial estate (the world’s first) serving the Manchester Ship Canal: the lighting itself was designed and installed by Henry Royce.

No proof exists that Edmunds played any part in the development of Royce’s motor cars. He was, however, the most experienced motorist among Royce’s friends and colleagues, so presumably offered expert advice and encouragement as Royce painstakingly turned his ideas into reality.


E A CLAREMONT
Conventional wisdom states that Royce co-founded F H Royce & Co with a partner, E A Claremont.  However, research has shown that Claremont joined the company some six months after its formation; Royce himself wrote, ‘I was induced to found… a small company in my own name’ and none but his was ever used.

While the original myth may be flawed, it is certainly true that the two men’s careers were closely entwined for many years.  Claremont was a partner in F H Royce & Company, Joint Managing Director of F H Royce & Company Limited, Chairman of Royce Limited and the first Chairman of Rolls-Royce Limited; both were also Members of the Institute of Electrical Engineers.


CLAUDE JOHNSON
Broad-shouldered, extroverted and a talented salesman, Johnson was the self-styled ‘Hyphen in Rolls-Royce’.  In 1903, he quit his role as secretary of the Automobile Club of Great Britain & Ireland – whose members included the aforementioned Henry Edmunds – to work for Paris Singer’s City & Suburban Electric Carriage company.

After less than a year, however, Johnson left to join C S Rolls and Co, later becoming Managing Director of Rolls-Royce Ltd.  He was responsible for much of the company’s early publicity: in advertisements produced for the UK and US markets, he described Rolls-Royce as ‘a petrol car as smooth and quiet as an electric’.  And to complete the symmetry, Paris Singer became the world’s first owner of a Rolls-Royce motor car.

ELECTRIFICATION IN THE GOODWOOD ERA
In the spirit of these founding figures, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars remains an electrification pioneer today.  When the first production fully electric Rolls-Royce reaches the market, it will be the culmination of research and development work that has been in progress at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, for well over a decade.


2011 – PHANTOM EE (102EX)
In 2011, the marque released Phantom Experimental Electric (EE), codenamed 102EX; a fully operational and road-legal battery-electric version of its pinnacle product.

Phantom EE was never intended for production, serving instead as a working test-bed for clients, VIPs, the media and enthusiasts to experience electric propulsion and share their experiences, thoughts and considerations directly with Rolls-Royce designers and engineers.

The car’s 6.75-litre V12 petrol engine and gearbox were replaced with a lithium-ion battery pack and two electric motors mounted on the rear sub-frame, connected to a single-speed transmission with integrated differential.  This system gave a maximum power output of 290kW and torque of 800Nm, compared to 338kW and maximum torque of 720Nm, delivered at 3,500rpm, for the V12 Phantom of the time.

While Phantom EE drew widespread acclaim for its technical accomplishment, particularly its near-total silence and impressive torque delivery, its limited range, long charging cycles and three-year battery life remained significant hurdles that Rolls-Royce would need to address in order to satisfy the expectations of its clients.


2016 – ROLLS-ROYCE VISION NEXT 100 (103EX)
Launched in 2016, this radically innovative concept car set out to define the marque’s long-term vision of luxury mobility.  It presented the motor car as offering truly individualised personal mobility, and an immersive emotional and sensory experience.

103EX was built around four key design tenets:
Coachbuilt bodywork will allow clients to commission a car that reflects their personal vision.  A virtual assistant and chauffeur powered by artificial intelligence offer an effortless journey. The interior creates a Grand Sanctuary, crafted from rare and exclusive materials.  And with its size and scale – 5.9 metres long and 1.6 metres high – the car ensures a Grand Arrival on reaching its destination.

Built on an advanced lightweight platform and powered by a proprietary, all-electric drive train, the motor car is completely autonomous.

The EX-suffix confirms that 103EX was a purely experimental car, never destined to enter production.  Following a spectacular debut in London, the car embarked on a three-year world tour, returning to the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood in 2019.

Visit www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com on 29 September at 13.00 BST for the next chapter in this extraordinary story.

/by
,

ROLLS-ROYCE and Electric power a prophecy a promise and an undertaking

ROLLS-ROYCE AND ELECTRIC POWER: A PROPHECY, A PROMISE AND AN UNDERTAKING

Rolls-Royce reflects on heritage of electric power ahead of historic announcement. Electrification has long been promoted as the future of automotive propulsion. Ahead of further official statements, we invite the media to reflect on the marque’s unique heritage in electric power, which pre-dates the founding of Rolls-Royce the company itself, and involves many of the principal protagonists whose names are forever associated with it.

  • Rolls-Royce reflects on heritage of electric power ahead of historic announcement
  • Extraordinary prophecy of founding father, Charles Rolls, revealed
  • Rolls championed electric cars in 1900, deeming Columbia model best of its type
  • Royce, one of the first electrical engineers, supplied motors to earliest electric cars
  • CEO, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, pledged to bring Rolls-Royce electric this decade
  • Visit www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com on 29 September at 13.00 BST for the next chapter in this story

“In April 1900, our founding forefather, Charles Rolls, made a prescient prophecy about automotive electrification.  Move forward over 120 years to when I made a public promise, on the record, that we would bring the first fully electric Rolls‑Royce to market within the current decade.  And, right now, our company is embarking on an historic undertaking to create the first, super-luxury car of its type.  This will happen sooner than many thought possible, through the incredible skills, expertise, vision and dedication of our engineers, designers and specialists at the Home of Rolls-Royce.

“In this ground-breaking endeavour, we are drawing on a remarkable heritage, unique in our industry.  Our founders and those who worked alongside them in the marque’s formative years were all important pioneers of electric power, as well as their era’s leading experts in automotive engineering.  As we herald a new electric future at Rolls-Royce, I am proud and humbled to share their inspiring stories, which have never been told in one place before, and shine a fresh and fascinating light on our company’s earliest days.”

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

INTRODUCTION

Electrification has long been promoted as the future of automotive propulsion.  Mainstream manufacturers are increasingly embracing hybrid and battery electric vehicle (BEV) technology, supported by the expansion of national charging infrastructures.

To date, Rolls-Royce has communicated its electrification strategy in three simple statements:

  • The marque will introduce an all-electric car this decade (2020 – 2030).
  • This car will be a pure BEV, not a hybrid of any kind.
  • It will be launched only when the time is right, and every element meets Rolls-Royce’s technical, aesthetic and performance standards.

There is considerable interest and media speculation surrounding Rolls-Royce’s plans.  Ahead of further official statements, we invite the media to reflect on the marque’s unique heritage in electric power, which pre-dates the founding of Rolls-Royce the company itself, and involves many of the principal protagonists whose names are forever associated with it.

WHY ELECTRIC POWER?
The internal combustion engine (ICE) was not the only, nor the default, means of propulsion for early motor cars at the beginning of the 20th century.  Indeed, in the early 1900s engineers and manufacturers initially divided their loyalties precisely between three competing technologies: the ICE, steam power and electricity.

Steam power, though well understood, relatively sophisticated and, at the time, ubiquitous in industry and other forms of transport, quickly proved less practical for use in motor cars.  It therefore fell to internal combustion and electricity to vie for supremacy.

Electric power lost the battle for two main reasons: extremely limited range and the absence of a charging infrastructure.  A century later, despite significant advances, these remain as barriers to widespread adoption (although increasingly less so), both in terms of technology and consumer perception.

But the characteristics that first drew engineers to electric power – silent operation, instant torque, tremendous power and the absence of exhaust fumes – remain highly alluring, particularly for luxury motor cars.  Indeed, some have speculated that, had he been able to solve the range and charging issues, Sir Henry Royce might have chosen electric power alone for his motor cars.

The innate and perfect suitability of electric power underpins the marque’s explicit commitment to deliver an all-electric Rolls-Royce this decade.  In doing so, it can draw on a unique history and heritage; a connection with electric power that pre-dates the company itself, and featuring the main protagonists who would, between them, create the world’s most famous automotive brand – beginning with Sir Henry Royce himself.

SIR HENRY ROYCE
Born in 1863, Henry Royce was one of the world’s first electrical engineers.  After his apprenticeship with the Great Northern Railway was cut short for family financial reasons, he worked briefly as a toolmaker at Greenwood & Batley in Leeds, where he first developed an interest in electrical power.

In 1881, he joined the Electric Light & Power Generating Company (EL&PG) in Southwark. During this time, he attended evening classes in electrics at the City & Guilds of London Institute, having received only a year of formal schooling as a child.  A year later, aged just 19, he moved to the EL&PG’s new subsidiary, the Lancashire Maxim-Weston Electric Co. Ltd, as Chief Electrician, providing street and theatre lighting to the city of Liverpool.  But within two years, the company folded, and the famously driven, hardworking Royce struck out on his own.

His new enterprise, F H Royce & Co, initially made small electrical appliances such as doorbells, lamps, fuses and switches.  The business thrived, and was soon producing larger, more complex devices including dynamos, electric motors and winches.  In 1902, Royce supplied electric motors for Pritchett & Gold, a London-based battery-maker that had diversified into building electric cars.

Though Royce himself never built or owned an electric motor car, he created internal combustion engines that delivered the driving experience we associate with electric propulsion today: effortless torque, silent running and the sensation of one continuous, powerful gear. His technical expertise and pioneering achievements underpin the marque’s historical claim as a world leader in electrification in both luxury and social settings.

THE HONOURABLE CHARLES ROLLS
The Hon. Charles Rolls was also a highly gifted engineer; but his enthusiasm for electricity began even earlier in life.  When he was just nine years old, he rigged up an electric bell between his bedroom and the stables at The Hendre, the family’s ancestral home in Monmouthshire.  He also planned and supervised the installation of electricity in the servants’ quarters; deploying the powers of salesmanship that would later make him world-famous, he persuaded his father, Lord Llangattock, to pay for it.

Rolls’ passion for motor cars was equally precocious.  In 1896, aged 18, he travelled to Paris and bought his first car, a 3¾ hp Peugeot Phaeton. Two years later, while still an engineering student at Cambridge, he acquired his only electric-powered car, an American-made vehicle called The Columbia Electric Carriage, imported into the UK by Paris Singer (heir to the sewing machine dynasty) and sold as the ‘City & Suburban’ car. Rolls regarded this as the best then available.

In an interview published in The Motor-Car Journal in April 1900, Rolls described electric propulsion, in terms that, over a century later, carry the ring of prescient prophecy:
“The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean.  There is no smell or vibration, and they should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged.  But for now, I do not anticipate that they will be very serviceable – at least for many years to come.”

Rolls made his own small contribution to solving the problem, by providing a battery-charging station at his car showroom on Lillie Road in Fulham for the private or rentable electric Broughams that were all the rage in London at the time.

In 1904, Charles Rolls agreed to become an agent for the Contal Electromobile electric car.  But on meeting Henry Royce and seeing his new motor car, he cancelled the agreement.

As he correctly predicted, it would be a long time before electric vehicles became truly viable on any scale.  But it is tempting to think that had this visionary entrepreneur survived the air crash that claimed his life at the young age of just 32, the day might have come rather sooner.

A SERIES OF CONNECTIONS
While Rolls and Royce are immortalised as the founders, others, perhaps less well-known, were intimately and crucially involved in the events that led to the creation of the Rolls-Royce marque.  They, too, were luminaries in the worlds of motoring and electric power around the beginning of the 20th century; history and the marque are indebted to all of the following:


HENRY EDMUNDS
In his early career, Henry Royce worked for Brush Electrical Engineering Company Ltd, where he met Henry Edmunds, the company’s engineer.  Edmunds earned his place in history when, on 4 May 1904 at the Midland Hotel in Manchester, he announced: “Mr. Royce, may I introduce you to Charles Rolls”.

The man who would be remembered by posterity as ‘The Godfather of Rolls-Royce’ was a towering figure in his own right.  A friend of Joseph Swan (the inventor of the incandescent lightbulb) and Thomas Edison (the inventor of almost everything else), he was a pioneer of electric lighting, traction and telephony, and was present at both the first successful sound recording and telephone call.  He also brought into being the world’s first electrified underground railway, when he persuaded the engineer in charge of London’s City & Southwick Railway (now the City branch of the Northern Line) to operate trains powered by electricity rather than steam.

In 1888, Edmunds established W T Glover & Company, which became the world’s leading manufacturer of electricity cabling.  In 1894, he supplied lighting cables for a vast dock complex and industrial estate (the world’s first) serving the Manchester Ship Canal: the lighting itself was designed and installed by Henry Royce.

No proof exists that Edmunds played any part in the development of Royce’s motor cars. He was, however, the most experienced motorist among Royce’s friends and colleagues, so presumably offered expert advice and encouragement as Royce painstakingly turned his ideas into reality.


E A CLAREMONT
Conventional wisdom states that Royce co-founded F H Royce & Co with a partner, E A Claremont.  However, research has shown that Claremont joined the company some six months after its formation; Royce himself wrote, ‘I was induced to found… a small company in my own name’ and none but his was ever used.

While the original myth may be flawed, it is certainly true that the two men’s careers were closely entwined for many years.  Claremont was a partner in F H Royce & Company, Joint Managing Director of F H Royce & Company Limited, Chairman of Royce Limited and the first Chairman of Rolls-Royce Limited; both were also Members of the Institute of Electrical Engineers.


CLAUDE JOHNSON
Broad-shouldered, extroverted and a talented salesman, Johnson was the self-styled ‘Hyphen in Rolls-Royce’.  In 1903, he quit his role as secretary of the Automobile Club of Great Britain & Ireland – whose members included the aforementioned Henry Edmunds – to work for Paris Singer’s City & Suburban Electric Carriage company.

After less than a year, however, Johnson left to join C S Rolls and Co, later becoming Managing Director of Rolls-Royce Ltd.  He was responsible for much of the company’s early publicity: in advertisements produced for the UK and US markets, he described Rolls-Royce as ‘a petrol car as smooth and quiet as an electric’.  And to complete the symmetry, Paris Singer became the world’s first owner of a Rolls-Royce motor car.

ELECTRIFICATION IN THE GOODWOOD ERA
In the spirit of these founding figures, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars remains an electrification pioneer today.  When the first production fully electric Rolls-Royce reaches the market, it will be the culmination of research and development work that has been in progress at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, for well over a decade.


2011 – PHANTOM EE (102EX)
In 2011, the marque released Phantom Experimental Electric (EE), codenamed 102EX; a fully operational and road-legal battery-electric version of its pinnacle product.

Phantom EE was never intended for production, serving instead as a working test-bed for clients, VIPs, the media and enthusiasts to experience electric propulsion and share their experiences, thoughts and considerations directly with Rolls-Royce designers and engineers.

The car’s 6.75-litre V12 petrol engine and gearbox were replaced with a lithium-ion battery pack and two electric motors mounted on the rear sub-frame, connected to a single-speed transmission with integrated differential.  This system gave a maximum power output of 290kW and torque of 800Nm, compared to 338kW and maximum torque of 720Nm, delivered at 3,500rpm, for the V12 Phantom of the time.

While Phantom EE drew widespread acclaim for its technical accomplishment, particularly its near-total silence and impressive torque delivery, its limited range, long charging cycles and three-year battery life remained significant hurdles that Rolls-Royce would need to address in order to satisfy the expectations of its clients.


2016 – ROLLS-ROYCE VISION NEXT 100 (103EX)
Launched in 2016, this radically innovative concept car set out to define the marque’s long-term vision of luxury mobility.  It presented the motor car as offering truly individualised personal mobility, and an immersive emotional and sensory experience.

103EX was built around four key design tenets:
Coachbuilt bodywork will allow clients to commission a car that reflects their personal vision.  A virtual assistant and chauffeur powered by artificial intelligence offer an effortless journey. The interior creates a Grand Sanctuary, crafted from rare and exclusive materials.  And with its size and scale – 5.9 metres long and 1.6 metres high – the car ensures a Grand Arrival on reaching its destination.

Built on an advanced lightweight platform and powered by a proprietary, all-electric drive train, the motor car is completely autonomous.

The EX-suffix confirms that 103EX was a purely experimental car, never destined to enter production.  Following a spectacular debut in London, the car embarked on a three-year world tour, returning to the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood in 2019.

Visit www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com on 29 September at 13.00 BST for the next chapter in this extraordinary story.

/by
, ,

ROLLS-ROYCE and Electric power a prophecy a promise and an undertaking

ROLLS-ROYCE AND ELECTRIC POWER: A PROPHECY, A PROMISE AND AN UNDERTAKING

Rolls-Royce reflects on heritage of electric power ahead of historic announcement. Electrification has long been promoted as the future of automotive propulsion. Ahead of further official statements, we invite the media to reflect on the marque’s unique heritage in electric power, which pre-dates the founding of Rolls-Royce the company itself, and involves many of the principal protagonists whose names are forever associated with it.

  • Rolls-Royce reflects on heritage of electric power ahead of historic announcement
  • Extraordinary prophecy of founding father, Charles Rolls, revealed
  • Rolls championed electric cars in 1900, deeming Columbia model best of its type
  • Royce, one of the first electrical engineers, supplied motors to earliest electric cars
  • CEO, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, pledged to bring Rolls-Royce electric this decade
  • Visit www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com on 29 September at 13.00 BST for the next chapter in this story

“In April 1900, our founding forefather, Charles Rolls, made a prescient prophecy about automotive electrification.  Move forward over 120 years to when I made a public promise, on the record, that we would bring the first fully electric Rolls‑Royce to market within the current decade.  And, right now, our company is embarking on an historic undertaking to create the first, super-luxury car of its type.  This will happen sooner than many thought possible, through the incredible skills, expertise, vision and dedication of our engineers, designers and specialists at the Home of Rolls-Royce.

“In this ground-breaking endeavour, we are drawing on a remarkable heritage, unique in our industry.  Our founders and those who worked alongside them in the marque’s formative years were all important pioneers of electric power, as well as their era’s leading experts in automotive engineering.  As we herald a new electric future at Rolls-Royce, I am proud and humbled to share their inspiring stories, which have never been told in one place before, and shine a fresh and fascinating light on our company’s earliest days.”

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

INTRODUCTION

Electrification has long been promoted as the future of automotive propulsion.  Mainstream manufacturers are increasingly embracing hybrid and battery electric vehicle (BEV) technology, supported by the expansion of national charging infrastructures.

To date, Rolls-Royce has communicated its electrification strategy in three simple statements:

  • The marque will introduce an all-electric car this decade (2020 – 2030).
  • This car will be a pure BEV, not a hybrid of any kind.
  • It will be launched only when the time is right, and every element meets Rolls-Royce’s technical, aesthetic and performance standards.

There is considerable interest and media speculation surrounding Rolls-Royce’s plans.  Ahead of further official statements, we invite the media to reflect on the marque’s unique heritage in electric power, which pre-dates the founding of Rolls-Royce the company itself, and involves many of the principal protagonists whose names are forever associated with it.

WHY ELECTRIC POWER?
The internal combustion engine (ICE) was not the only, nor the default, means of propulsion for early motor cars at the beginning of the 20th century.  Indeed, in the early 1900s engineers and manufacturers initially divided their loyalties precisely between three competing technologies: the ICE, steam power and electricity.

Steam power, though well understood, relatively sophisticated and, at the time, ubiquitous in industry and other forms of transport, quickly proved less practical for use in motor cars.  It therefore fell to internal combustion and electricity to vie for supremacy.

Electric power lost the battle for two main reasons: extremely limited range and the absence of a charging infrastructure.  A century later, despite significant advances, these remain as barriers to widespread adoption (although increasingly less so), both in terms of technology and consumer perception.

But the characteristics that first drew engineers to electric power – silent operation, instant torque, tremendous power and the absence of exhaust fumes – remain highly alluring, particularly for luxury motor cars.  Indeed, some have speculated that, had he been able to solve the range and charging issues, Sir Henry Royce might have chosen electric power alone for his motor cars.

The innate and perfect suitability of electric power underpins the marque’s explicit commitment to deliver an all-electric Rolls-Royce this decade.  In doing so, it can draw on a unique history and heritage; a connection with electric power that pre-dates the company itself, and featuring the main protagonists who would, between them, create the world’s most famous automotive brand – beginning with Sir Henry Royce himself.

SIR HENRY ROYCE
Born in 1863, Henry Royce was one of the world’s first electrical engineers.  After his apprenticeship with the Great Northern Railway was cut short for family financial reasons, he worked briefly as a toolmaker at Greenwood & Batley in Leeds, where he first developed an interest in electrical power.

In 1881, he joined the Electric Light & Power Generating Company (EL&PG) in Southwark. During this time, he attended evening classes in electrics at the City & Guilds of London Institute, having received only a year of formal schooling as a child.  A year later, aged just 19, he moved to the EL&PG’s new subsidiary, the Lancashire Maxim-Weston Electric Co. Ltd, as Chief Electrician, providing street and theatre lighting to the city of Liverpool.  But within two years, the company folded, and the famously driven, hardworking Royce struck out on his own.

His new enterprise, F H Royce & Co, initially made small electrical appliances such as doorbells, lamps, fuses and switches.  The business thrived, and was soon producing larger, more complex devices including dynamos, electric motors and winches.  In 1902, Royce supplied electric motors for Pritchett & Gold, a London-based battery-maker that had diversified into building electric cars.

Though Royce himself never built or owned an electric motor car, he created internal combustion engines that delivered the driving experience we associate with electric propulsion today: effortless torque, silent running and the sensation of one continuous, powerful gear. His technical expertise and pioneering achievements underpin the marque’s historical claim as a world leader in electrification in both luxury and social settings.

THE HONOURABLE CHARLES ROLLS
The Hon. Charles Rolls was also a highly gifted engineer; but his enthusiasm for electricity began even earlier in life.  When he was just nine years old, he rigged up an electric bell between his bedroom and the stables at The Hendre, the family’s ancestral home in Monmouthshire.  He also planned and supervised the installation of electricity in the servants’ quarters; deploying the powers of salesmanship that would later make him world-famous, he persuaded his father, Lord Llangattock, to pay for it.

Rolls’ passion for motor cars was equally precocious.  In 1896, aged 18, he travelled to Paris and bought his first car, a 3¾ hp Peugeot Phaeton. Two years later, while still an engineering student at Cambridge, he acquired his only electric-powered car, an American-made vehicle called The Columbia Electric Carriage, imported into the UK by Paris Singer (heir to the sewing machine dynasty) and sold as the ‘City & Suburban’ car. Rolls regarded this as the best then available.

In an interview published in The Motor-Car Journal in April 1900, Rolls described electric propulsion, in terms that, over a century later, carry the ring of prescient prophecy:
“The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean.  There is no smell or vibration, and they should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged.  But for now, I do not anticipate that they will be very serviceable – at least for many years to come.”

Rolls made his own small contribution to solving the problem, by providing a battery-charging station at his car showroom on Lillie Road in Fulham for the private or rentable electric Broughams that were all the rage in London at the time.

In 1904, Charles Rolls agreed to become an agent for the Contal Electromobile electric car.  But on meeting Henry Royce and seeing his new motor car, he cancelled the agreement.

As he correctly predicted, it would be a long time before electric vehicles became truly viable on any scale.  But it is tempting to think that had this visionary entrepreneur survived the air crash that claimed his life at the young age of just 32, the day might have come rather sooner.

A SERIES OF CONNECTIONS
While Rolls and Royce are immortalised as the founders, others, perhaps less well-known, were intimately and crucially involved in the events that led to the creation of the Rolls-Royce marque.  They, too, were luminaries in the worlds of motoring and electric power around the beginning of the 20th century; history and the marque are indebted to all of the following:


HENRY EDMUNDS
In his early career, Henry Royce worked for Brush Electrical Engineering Company Ltd, where he met Henry Edmunds, the company’s engineer.  Edmunds earned his place in history when, on 4 May 1904 at the Midland Hotel in Manchester, he announced: “Mr. Royce, may I introduce you to Charles Rolls”.

The man who would be remembered by posterity as ‘The Godfather of Rolls-Royce’ was a towering figure in his own right.  A friend of Joseph Swan (the inventor of the incandescent lightbulb) and Thomas Edison (the inventor of almost everything else), he was a pioneer of electric lighting, traction and telephony, and was present at both the first successful sound recording and telephone call.  He also brought into being the world’s first electrified underground railway, when he persuaded the engineer in charge of London’s City & Southwick Railway (now the City branch of the Northern Line) to operate trains powered by electricity rather than steam.

In 1888, Edmunds established W T Glover & Company, which became the world’s leading manufacturer of electricity cabling.  In 1894, he supplied lighting cables for a vast dock complex and industrial estate (the world’s first) serving the Manchester Ship Canal: the lighting itself was designed and installed by Henry Royce.

No proof exists that Edmunds played any part in the development of Royce’s motor cars. He was, however, the most experienced motorist among Royce’s friends and colleagues, so presumably offered expert advice and encouragement as Royce painstakingly turned his ideas into reality.


E A CLAREMONT
Conventional wisdom states that Royce co-founded F H Royce & Co with a partner, E A Claremont.  However, research has shown that Claremont joined the company some six months after its formation; Royce himself wrote, ‘I was induced to found… a small company in my own name’ and none but his was ever used.

While the original myth may be flawed, it is certainly true that the two men’s careers were closely entwined for many years.  Claremont was a partner in F H Royce & Company, Joint Managing Director of F H Royce & Company Limited, Chairman of Royce Limited and the first Chairman of Rolls-Royce Limited; both were also Members of the Institute of Electrical Engineers.


CLAUDE JOHNSON
Broad-shouldered, extroverted and a talented salesman, Johnson was the self-styled ‘Hyphen in Rolls-Royce’.  In 1903, he quit his role as secretary of the Automobile Club of Great Britain & Ireland – whose members included the aforementioned Henry Edmunds – to work for Paris Singer’s City & Suburban Electric Carriage company.

After less than a year, however, Johnson left to join C S Rolls and Co, later becoming Managing Director of Rolls-Royce Ltd.  He was responsible for much of the company’s early publicity: in advertisements produced for the UK and US markets, he described Rolls-Royce as ‘a petrol car as smooth and quiet as an electric’.  And to complete the symmetry, Paris Singer became the world’s first owner of a Rolls-Royce motor car.

ELECTRIFICATION IN THE GOODWOOD ERA
In the spirit of these founding figures, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars remains an electrification pioneer today.  When the first production fully electric Rolls-Royce reaches the market, it will be the culmination of research and development work that has been in progress at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, for well over a decade.


2011 – PHANTOM EE (102EX)
In 2011, the marque released Phantom Experimental Electric (EE), codenamed 102EX; a fully operational and road-legal battery-electric version of its pinnacle product.

Phantom EE was never intended for production, serving instead as a working test-bed for clients, VIPs, the media and enthusiasts to experience electric propulsion and share their experiences, thoughts and considerations directly with Rolls-Royce designers and engineers.

The car’s 6.75-litre V12 petrol engine and gearbox were replaced with a lithium-ion battery pack and two electric motors mounted on the rear sub-frame, connected to a single-speed transmission with integrated differential.  This system gave a maximum power output of 290kW and torque of 800Nm, compared to 338kW and maximum torque of 720Nm, delivered at 3,500rpm, for the V12 Phantom of the time.

While Phantom EE drew widespread acclaim for its technical accomplishment, particularly its near-total silence and impressive torque delivery, its limited range, long charging cycles and three-year battery life remained significant hurdles that Rolls-Royce would need to address in order to satisfy the expectations of its clients.


2016 – ROLLS-ROYCE VISION NEXT 100 (103EX)
Launched in 2016, this radically innovative concept car set out to define the marque’s long-term vision of luxury mobility.  It presented the motor car as offering truly individualised personal mobility, and an immersive emotional and sensory experience.

103EX was built around four key design tenets:
Coachbuilt bodywork will allow clients to commission a car that reflects their personal vision.  A virtual assistant and chauffeur powered by artificial intelligence offer an effortless journey. The interior creates a Grand Sanctuary, crafted from rare and exclusive materials.  And with its size and scale – 5.9 metres long and 1.6 metres high – the car ensures a Grand Arrival on reaching its destination.

Built on an advanced lightweight platform and powered by a proprietary, all-electric drive train, the motor car is completely autonomous.

The EX-suffix confirms that 103EX was a purely experimental car, never destined to enter production.  Following a spectacular debut in London, the car embarked on a three-year world tour, returning to the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood in 2019.

Visit www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com on 29 September at 13.00 BST for the next chapter in this extraordinary story.

/by
, ,

ROLLS-ROYCE and Electric power a prophecy a promise and an undertaking

ROLLS-ROYCE AND ELECTRIC POWER: A PROPHECY, A PROMISE AND AN UNDERTAKING

Rolls-Royce reflects on heritage of electric power ahead of historic announcement. Electrification has long been promoted as the future of automotive propulsion. Ahead of further official statements, we invite the media to reflect on the marque’s unique heritage in electric power, which pre-dates the founding of Rolls-Royce the company itself, and involves many of the principal protagonists whose names are forever associated with it.

  • Rolls-Royce reflects on heritage of electric power ahead of historic announcement
  • Extraordinary prophecy of founding father, Charles Rolls, revealed
  • Rolls championed electric cars in 1900, deeming Columbia model best of its type
  • Royce, one of the first electrical engineers, supplied motors to earliest electric cars
  • CEO, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, pledged to bring Rolls-Royce electric this decade
  • Visit www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com on 29 September at 13.00 BST for the next chapter in this story

“In April 1900, our founding forefather, Charles Rolls, made a prescient prophecy about automotive electrification.  Move forward over 120 years to when I made a public promise, on the record, that we would bring the first fully electric Rolls‑Royce to market within the current decade.  And, right now, our company is embarking on an historic undertaking to create the first, super-luxury car of its type.  This will happen sooner than many thought possible, through the incredible skills, expertise, vision and dedication of our engineers, designers and specialists at the Home of Rolls-Royce.

“In this ground-breaking endeavour, we are drawing on a remarkable heritage, unique in our industry.  Our founders and those who worked alongside them in the marque’s formative years were all important pioneers of electric power, as well as their era’s leading experts in automotive engineering.  As we herald a new electric future at Rolls-Royce, I am proud and humbled to share their inspiring stories, which have never been told in one place before, and shine a fresh and fascinating light on our company’s earliest days.”

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

INTRODUCTION

Electrification has long been promoted as the future of automotive propulsion.  Mainstream manufacturers are increasingly embracing hybrid and battery electric vehicle (BEV) technology, supported by the expansion of national charging infrastructures.

To date, Rolls-Royce has communicated its electrification strategy in three simple statements:

  • The marque will introduce an all-electric car this decade (2020 – 2030).
  • This car will be a pure BEV, not a hybrid of any kind.
  • It will be launched only when the time is right, and every element meets Rolls-Royce’s technical, aesthetic and performance standards.

There is considerable interest and media speculation surrounding Rolls-Royce’s plans.  Ahead of further official statements, we invite the media to reflect on the marque’s unique heritage in electric power, which pre-dates the founding of Rolls-Royce the company itself, and involves many of the principal protagonists whose names are forever associated with it.

WHY ELECTRIC POWER?
The internal combustion engine (ICE) was not the only, nor the default, means of propulsion for early motor cars at the beginning of the 20th century.  Indeed, in the early 1900s engineers and manufacturers initially divided their loyalties precisely between three competing technologies: the ICE, steam power and electricity.

Steam power, though well understood, relatively sophisticated and, at the time, ubiquitous in industry and other forms of transport, quickly proved less practical for use in motor cars.  It therefore fell to internal combustion and electricity to vie for supremacy.

Electric power lost the battle for two main reasons: extremely limited range and the absence of a charging infrastructure.  A century later, despite significant advances, these remain as barriers to widespread adoption (although increasingly less so), both in terms of technology and consumer perception.

But the characteristics that first drew engineers to electric power – silent operation, instant torque, tremendous power and the absence of exhaust fumes – remain highly alluring, particularly for luxury motor cars.  Indeed, some have speculated that, had he been able to solve the range and charging issues, Sir Henry Royce might have chosen electric power alone for his motor cars.

The innate and perfect suitability of electric power underpins the marque’s explicit commitment to deliver an all-electric Rolls-Royce this decade.  In doing so, it can draw on a unique history and heritage; a connection with electric power that pre-dates the company itself, and featuring the main protagonists who would, between them, create the world’s most famous automotive brand – beginning with Sir Henry Royce himself.

SIR HENRY ROYCE
Born in 1863, Henry Royce was one of the world’s first electrical engineers.  After his apprenticeship with the Great Northern Railway was cut short for family financial reasons, he worked briefly as a toolmaker at Greenwood & Batley in Leeds, where he first developed an interest in electrical power.

In 1881, he joined the Electric Light & Power Generating Company (EL&PG) in Southwark. During this time, he attended evening classes in electrics at the City & Guilds of London Institute, having received only a year of formal schooling as a child.  A year later, aged just 19, he moved to the EL&PG’s new subsidiary, the Lancashire Maxim-Weston Electric Co. Ltd, as Chief Electrician, providing street and theatre lighting to the city of Liverpool.  But within two years, the company folded, and the famously driven, hardworking Royce struck out on his own.

His new enterprise, F H Royce & Co, initially made small electrical appliances such as doorbells, lamps, fuses and switches.  The business thrived, and was soon producing larger, more complex devices including dynamos, electric motors and winches.  In 1902, Royce supplied electric motors for Pritchett & Gold, a London-based battery-maker that had diversified into building electric cars.

Though Royce himself never built or owned an electric motor car, he created internal combustion engines that delivered the driving experience we associate with electric propulsion today: effortless torque, silent running and the sensation of one continuous, powerful gear. His technical expertise and pioneering achievements underpin the marque’s historical claim as a world leader in electrification in both luxury and social settings.

THE HONOURABLE CHARLES ROLLS
The Hon. Charles Rolls was also a highly gifted engineer; but his enthusiasm for electricity began even earlier in life.  When he was just nine years old, he rigged up an electric bell between his bedroom and the stables at The Hendre, the family’s ancestral home in Monmouthshire.  He also planned and supervised the installation of electricity in the servants’ quarters; deploying the powers of salesmanship that would later make him world-famous, he persuaded his father, Lord Llangattock, to pay for it.

Rolls’ passion for motor cars was equally precocious.  In 1896, aged 18, he travelled to Paris and bought his first car, a 3¾ hp Peugeot Phaeton. Two years later, while still an engineering student at Cambridge, he acquired his only electric-powered car, an American-made vehicle called The Columbia Electric Carriage, imported into the UK by Paris Singer (heir to the sewing machine dynasty) and sold as the ‘City & Suburban’ car. Rolls regarded this as the best then available.

In an interview published in The Motor-Car Journal in April 1900, Rolls described electric propulsion, in terms that, over a century later, carry the ring of prescient prophecy:
“The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean.  There is no smell or vibration, and they should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged.  But for now, I do not anticipate that they will be very serviceable – at least for many years to come.”

Rolls made his own small contribution to solving the problem, by providing a battery-charging station at his car showroom on Lillie Road in Fulham for the private or rentable electric Broughams that were all the rage in London at the time.

In 1904, Charles Rolls agreed to become an agent for the Contal Electromobile electric car.  But on meeting Henry Royce and seeing his new motor car, he cancelled the agreement.

As he correctly predicted, it would be a long time before electric vehicles became truly viable on any scale.  But it is tempting to think that had this visionary entrepreneur survived the air crash that claimed his life at the young age of just 32, the day might have come rather sooner.

A SERIES OF CONNECTIONS
While Rolls and Royce are immortalised as the founders, others, perhaps less well-known, were intimately and crucially involved in the events that led to the creation of the Rolls-Royce marque.  They, too, were luminaries in the worlds of motoring and electric power around the beginning of the 20th century; history and the marque are indebted to all of the following:


HENRY EDMUNDS
In his early career, Henry Royce worked for Brush Electrical Engineering Company Ltd, where he met Henry Edmunds, the company’s engineer.  Edmunds earned his place in history when, on 4 May 1904 at the Midland Hotel in Manchester, he announced: “Mr. Royce, may I introduce you to Charles Rolls”.

The man who would be remembered by posterity as ‘The Godfather of Rolls-Royce’ was a towering figure in his own right.  A friend of Joseph Swan (the inventor of the incandescent lightbulb) and Thomas Edison (the inventor of almost everything else), he was a pioneer of electric lighting, traction and telephony, and was present at both the first successful sound recording and telephone call.  He also brought into being the world’s first electrified underground railway, when he persuaded the engineer in charge of London’s City & Southwick Railway (now the City branch of the Northern Line) to operate trains powered by electricity rather than steam.

In 1888, Edmunds established W T Glover & Company, which became the world’s leading manufacturer of electricity cabling.  In 1894, he supplied lighting cables for a vast dock complex and industrial estate (the world’s first) serving the Manchester Ship Canal: the lighting itself was designed and installed by Henry Royce.

No proof exists that Edmunds played any part in the development of Royce’s motor cars. He was, however, the most experienced motorist among Royce’s friends and colleagues, so presumably offered expert advice and encouragement as Royce painstakingly turned his ideas into reality.


E A CLAREMONT
Conventional wisdom states that Royce co-founded F H Royce & Co with a partner, E A Claremont.  However, research has shown that Claremont joined the company some six months after its formation; Royce himself wrote, ‘I was induced to found… a small company in my own name’ and none but his was ever used.

While the original myth may be flawed, it is certainly true that the two men’s careers were closely entwined for many years.  Claremont was a partner in F H Royce & Company, Joint Managing Director of F H Royce & Company Limited, Chairman of Royce Limited and the first Chairman of Rolls-Royce Limited; both were also Members of the Institute of Electrical Engineers.


CLAUDE JOHNSON
Broad-shouldered, extroverted and a talented salesman, Johnson was the self-styled ‘Hyphen in Rolls-Royce’.  In 1903, he quit his role as secretary of the Automobile Club of Great Britain & Ireland – whose members included the aforementioned Henry Edmunds – to work for Paris Singer’s City & Suburban Electric Carriage company.

After less than a year, however, Johnson left to join C S Rolls and Co, later becoming Managing Director of Rolls-Royce Ltd.  He was responsible for much of the company’s early publicity: in advertisements produced for the UK and US markets, he described Rolls-Royce as ‘a petrol car as smooth and quiet as an electric’.  And to complete the symmetry, Paris Singer became the world’s first owner of a Rolls-Royce motor car.

ELECTRIFICATION IN THE GOODWOOD ERA
In the spirit of these founding figures, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars remains an electrification pioneer today.  When the first production fully electric Rolls-Royce reaches the market, it will be the culmination of research and development work that has been in progress at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, for well over a decade.


2011 – PHANTOM EE (102EX)
In 2011, the marque released Phantom Experimental Electric (EE), codenamed 102EX; a fully operational and road-legal battery-electric version of its pinnacle product.

Phantom EE was never intended for production, serving instead as a working test-bed for clients, VIPs, the media and enthusiasts to experience electric propulsion and share their experiences, thoughts and considerations directly with Rolls-Royce designers and engineers.

The car’s 6.75-litre V12 petrol engine and gearbox were replaced with a lithium-ion battery pack and two electric motors mounted on the rear sub-frame, connected to a single-speed transmission with integrated differential.  This system gave a maximum power output of 290kW and torque of 800Nm, compared to 338kW and maximum torque of 720Nm, delivered at 3,500rpm, for the V12 Phantom of the time.

While Phantom EE drew widespread acclaim for its technical accomplishment, particularly its near-total silence and impressive torque delivery, its limited range, long charging cycles and three-year battery life remained significant hurdles that Rolls-Royce would need to address in order to satisfy the expectations of its clients.


2016 – ROLLS-ROYCE VISION NEXT 100 (103EX)
Launched in 2016, this radically innovative concept car set out to define the marque’s long-term vision of luxury mobility.  It presented the motor car as offering truly individualised personal mobility, and an immersive emotional and sensory experience.

103EX was built around four key design tenets:
Coachbuilt bodywork will allow clients to commission a car that reflects their personal vision.  A virtual assistant and chauffeur powered by artificial intelligence offer an effortless journey. The interior creates a Grand Sanctuary, crafted from rare and exclusive materials.  And with its size and scale – 5.9 metres long and 1.6 metres high – the car ensures a Grand Arrival on reaching its destination.

Built on an advanced lightweight platform and powered by a proprietary, all-electric drive train, the motor car is completely autonomous.

The EX-suffix confirms that 103EX was a purely experimental car, never destined to enter production.  Following a spectacular debut in London, the car embarked on a three-year world tour, returning to the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood in 2019.

Visit www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com on 29 September at 13.00 BST for the next chapter in this extraordinary story.

/by
, ,

ROLLS-ROYCE and Electric power a prophecy a promise and an undertaking

ROLLS-ROYCE AND ELECTRIC POWER: A PROPHECY, A PROMISE AND AN UNDERTAKING

Rolls-Royce reflects on heritage of electric power ahead of historic announcement. Electrification has long been promoted as the future of automotive propulsion. Ahead of further official statements, we invite the media to reflect on the marque’s unique heritage in electric power, which pre-dates the founding of Rolls-Royce the company itself, and involves many of the principal protagonists whose names are forever associated with it.

  • Rolls-Royce reflects on heritage of electric power ahead of historic announcement
  • Extraordinary prophecy of founding father, Charles Rolls, revealed
  • Rolls championed electric cars in 1900, deeming Columbia model best of its type
  • Royce, one of the first electrical engineers, supplied motors to earliest electric cars
  • CEO, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, pledged to bring Rolls-Royce electric this decade
  • Visit www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com on 29 September at 13.00 BST for the next chapter in this story

“In April 1900, our founding forefather, Charles Rolls, made a prescient prophecy about automotive electrification.  Move forward over 120 years to when I made a public promise, on the record, that we would bring the first fully electric Rolls‑Royce to market within the current decade.  And, right now, our company is embarking on an historic undertaking to create the first, super-luxury car of its type.  This will happen sooner than many thought possible, through the incredible skills, expertise, vision and dedication of our engineers, designers and specialists at the Home of Rolls-Royce.

“In this ground-breaking endeavour, we are drawing on a remarkable heritage, unique in our industry.  Our founders and those who worked alongside them in the marque’s formative years were all important pioneers of electric power, as well as their era’s leading experts in automotive engineering.  As we herald a new electric future at Rolls-Royce, I am proud and humbled to share their inspiring stories, which have never been told in one place before, and shine a fresh and fascinating light on our company’s earliest days.”

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

INTRODUCTION

Electrification has long been promoted as the future of automotive propulsion.  Mainstream manufacturers are increasingly embracing hybrid and battery electric vehicle (BEV) technology, supported by the expansion of national charging infrastructures.

To date, Rolls-Royce has communicated its electrification strategy in three simple statements:

  • The marque will introduce an all-electric car this decade (2020 – 2030).
  • This car will be a pure BEV, not a hybrid of any kind.
  • It will be launched only when the time is right, and every element meets Rolls-Royce’s technical, aesthetic and performance standards.

There is considerable interest and media speculation surrounding Rolls-Royce’s plans.  Ahead of further official statements, we invite the media to reflect on the marque’s unique heritage in electric power, which pre-dates the founding of Rolls-Royce the company itself, and involves many of the principal protagonists whose names are forever associated with it.

WHY ELECTRIC POWER?
The internal combustion engine (ICE) was not the only, nor the default, means of propulsion for early motor cars at the beginning of the 20th century.  Indeed, in the early 1900s engineers and manufacturers initially divided their loyalties precisely between three competing technologies: the ICE, steam power and electricity.

Steam power, though well understood, relatively sophisticated and, at the time, ubiquitous in industry and other forms of transport, quickly proved less practical for use in motor cars.  It therefore fell to internal combustion and electricity to vie for supremacy.

Electric power lost the battle for two main reasons: extremely limited range and the absence of a charging infrastructure.  A century later, despite significant advances, these remain as barriers to widespread adoption (although increasingly less so), both in terms of technology and consumer perception.

But the characteristics that first drew engineers to electric power – silent operation, instant torque, tremendous power and the absence of exhaust fumes – remain highly alluring, particularly for luxury motor cars.  Indeed, some have speculated that, had he been able to solve the range and charging issues, Sir Henry Royce might have chosen electric power alone for his motor cars.

The innate and perfect suitability of electric power underpins the marque’s explicit commitment to deliver an all-electric Rolls-Royce this decade.  In doing so, it can draw on a unique history and heritage; a connection with electric power that pre-dates the company itself, and featuring the main protagonists who would, between them, create the world’s most famous automotive brand – beginning with Sir Henry Royce himself.

SIR HENRY ROYCE
Born in 1863, Henry Royce was one of the world’s first electrical engineers.  After his apprenticeship with the Great Northern Railway was cut short for family financial reasons, he worked briefly as a toolmaker at Greenwood & Batley in Leeds, where he first developed an interest in electrical power.

In 1881, he joined the Electric Light & Power Generating Company (EL&PG) in Southwark. During this time, he attended evening classes in electrics at the City & Guilds of London Institute, having received only a year of formal schooling as a child.  A year later, aged just 19, he moved to the EL&PG’s new subsidiary, the Lancashire Maxim-Weston Electric Co. Ltd, as Chief Electrician, providing street and theatre lighting to the city of Liverpool.  But within two years, the company folded, and the famously driven, hardworking Royce struck out on his own.

His new enterprise, F H Royce & Co, initially made small electrical appliances such as doorbells, lamps, fuses and switches.  The business thrived, and was soon producing larger, more complex devices including dynamos, electric motors and winches.  In 1902, Royce supplied electric motors for Pritchett & Gold, a London-based battery-maker that had diversified into building electric cars.

Though Royce himself never built or owned an electric motor car, he created internal combustion engines that delivered the driving experience we associate with electric propulsion today: effortless torque, silent running and the sensation of one continuous, powerful gear. His technical expertise and pioneering achievements underpin the marque’s historical claim as a world leader in electrification in both luxury and social settings.

THE HONOURABLE CHARLES ROLLS
The Hon. Charles Rolls was also a highly gifted engineer; but his enthusiasm for electricity began even earlier in life.  When he was just nine years old, he rigged up an electric bell between his bedroom and the stables at The Hendre, the family’s ancestral home in Monmouthshire.  He also planned and supervised the installation of electricity in the servants’ quarters; deploying the powers of salesmanship that would later make him world-famous, he persuaded his father, Lord Llangattock, to pay for it.

Rolls’ passion for motor cars was equally precocious.  In 1896, aged 18, he travelled to Paris and bought his first car, a 3¾ hp Peugeot Phaeton. Two years later, while still an engineering student at Cambridge, he acquired his only electric-powered car, an American-made vehicle called The Columbia Electric Carriage, imported into the UK by Paris Singer (heir to the sewing machine dynasty) and sold as the ‘City & Suburban’ car. Rolls regarded this as the best then available.

In an interview published in The Motor-Car Journal in April 1900, Rolls described electric propulsion, in terms that, over a century later, carry the ring of prescient prophecy:
“The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean.  There is no smell or vibration, and they should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged.  But for now, I do not anticipate that they will be very serviceable – at least for many years to come.”

Rolls made his own small contribution to solving the problem, by providing a battery-charging station at his car showroom on Lillie Road in Fulham for the private or rentable electric Broughams that were all the rage in London at the time.

In 1904, Charles Rolls agreed to become an agent for the Contal Electromobile electric car.  But on meeting Henry Royce and seeing his new motor car, he cancelled the agreement.

As he correctly predicted, it would be a long time before electric vehicles became truly viable on any scale.  But it is tempting to think that had this visionary entrepreneur survived the air crash that claimed his life at the young age of just 32, the day might have come rather sooner.

A SERIES OF CONNECTIONS
While Rolls and Royce are immortalised as the founders, others, perhaps less well-known, were intimately and crucially involved in the events that led to the creation of the Rolls-Royce marque.  They, too, were luminaries in the worlds of motoring and electric power around the beginning of the 20th century; history and the marque are indebted to all of the following:


HENRY EDMUNDS
In his early career, Henry Royce worked for Brush Electrical Engineering Company Ltd, where he met Henry Edmunds, the company’s engineer.  Edmunds earned his place in history when, on 4 May 1904 at the Midland Hotel in Manchester, he announced: “Mr. Royce, may I introduce you to Charles Rolls”.

The man who would be remembered by posterity as ‘The Godfather of Rolls-Royce’ was a towering figure in his own right.  A friend of Joseph Swan (the inventor of the incandescent lightbulb) and Thomas Edison (the inventor of almost everything else), he was a pioneer of electric lighting, traction and telephony, and was present at both the first successful sound recording and telephone call.  He also brought into being the world’s first electrified underground railway, when he persuaded the engineer in charge of London’s City & Southwick Railway (now the City branch of the Northern Line) to operate trains powered by electricity rather than steam.

In 1888, Edmunds established W T Glover & Company, which became the world’s leading manufacturer of electricity cabling.  In 1894, he supplied lighting cables for a vast dock complex and industrial estate (the world’s first) serving the Manchester Ship Canal: the lighting itself was designed and installed by Henry Royce.

No proof exists that Edmunds played any part in the development of Royce’s motor cars. He was, however, the most experienced motorist among Royce’s friends and colleagues, so presumably offered expert advice and encouragement as Royce painstakingly turned his ideas into reality.


E A CLAREMONT
Conventional wisdom states that Royce co-founded F H Royce & Co with a partner, E A Claremont.  However, research has shown that Claremont joined the company some six months after its formation; Royce himself wrote, ‘I was induced to found… a small company in my own name’ and none but his was ever used.

While the original myth may be flawed, it is certainly true that the two men’s careers were closely entwined for many years.  Claremont was a partner in F H Royce & Company, Joint Managing Director of F H Royce & Company Limited, Chairman of Royce Limited and the first Chairman of Rolls-Royce Limited; both were also Members of the Institute of Electrical Engineers.


CLAUDE JOHNSON
Broad-shouldered, extroverted and a talented salesman, Johnson was the self-styled ‘Hyphen in Rolls-Royce’.  In 1903, he quit his role as secretary of the Automobile Club of Great Britain & Ireland – whose members included the aforementioned Henry Edmunds – to work for Paris Singer’s City & Suburban Electric Carriage company.

After less than a year, however, Johnson left to join C S Rolls and Co, later becoming Managing Director of Rolls-Royce Ltd.  He was responsible for much of the company’s early publicity: in advertisements produced for the UK and US markets, he described Rolls-Royce as ‘a petrol car as smooth and quiet as an electric’.  And to complete the symmetry, Paris Singer became the world’s first owner of a Rolls-Royce motor car.

ELECTRIFICATION IN THE GOODWOOD ERA
In the spirit of these founding figures, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars remains an electrification pioneer today.  When the first production fully electric Rolls-Royce reaches the market, it will be the culmination of research and development work that has been in progress at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, for well over a decade.


2011 – PHANTOM EE (102EX)
In 2011, the marque released Phantom Experimental Electric (EE), codenamed 102EX; a fully operational and road-legal battery-electric version of its pinnacle product.

Phantom EE was never intended for production, serving instead as a working test-bed for clients, VIPs, the media and enthusiasts to experience electric propulsion and share their experiences, thoughts and considerations directly with Rolls-Royce designers and engineers.

The car’s 6.75-litre V12 petrol engine and gearbox were replaced with a lithium-ion battery pack and two electric motors mounted on the rear sub-frame, connected to a single-speed transmission with integrated differential.  This system gave a maximum power output of 290kW and torque of 800Nm, compared to 338kW and maximum torque of 720Nm, delivered at 3,500rpm, for the V12 Phantom of the time.

While Phantom EE drew widespread acclaim for its technical accomplishment, particularly its near-total silence and impressive torque delivery, its limited range, long charging cycles and three-year battery life remained significant hurdles that Rolls-Royce would need to address in order to satisfy the expectations of its clients.


2016 – ROLLS-ROYCE VISION NEXT 100 (103EX)
Launched in 2016, this radically innovative concept car set out to define the marque’s long-term vision of luxury mobility.  It presented the motor car as offering truly individualised personal mobility, and an immersive emotional and sensory experience.

103EX was built around four key design tenets:
Coachbuilt bodywork will allow clients to commission a car that reflects their personal vision.  A virtual assistant and chauffeur powered by artificial intelligence offer an effortless journey. The interior creates a Grand Sanctuary, crafted from rare and exclusive materials.  And with its size and scale – 5.9 metres long and 1.6 metres high – the car ensures a Grand Arrival on reaching its destination.

Built on an advanced lightweight platform and powered by a proprietary, all-electric drive train, the motor car is completely autonomous.

The EX-suffix confirms that 103EX was a purely experimental car, never destined to enter production.  Following a spectacular debut in London, the car embarked on a three-year world tour, returning to the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood in 2019.

Visit www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com on 29 September at 13.00 BST for the next chapter in this extraordinary story.

/by
, ,

ROLLS-ROYCE and Electric power a prophecy a promise and an undertaking

ROLLS-ROYCE AND ELECTRIC POWER: A PROPHECY, A PROMISE AND AN UNDERTAKING

Rolls-Royce reflects on heritage of electric power ahead of historic announcement. Electrification has long been promoted as the future of automotive propulsion. Ahead of further official statements, we invite the media to reflect on the marque’s unique heritage in electric power, which pre-dates the founding of Rolls-Royce the company itself, and involves many of the principal protagonists whose names are forever associated with it.

  • Rolls-Royce reflects on heritage of electric power ahead of historic announcement
  • Extraordinary prophecy of founding father, Charles Rolls, revealed
  • Rolls championed electric cars in 1900, deeming Columbia model best of its type
  • Royce, one of the first electrical engineers, supplied motors to earliest electric cars
  • CEO, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, pledged to bring Rolls-Royce electric this decade
  • Visit www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com on 29 September at 13.00 BST for the next chapter in this story

“In April 1900, our founding forefather, Charles Rolls, made a prescient prophecy about automotive electrification.  Move forward over 120 years to when I made a public promise, on the record, that we would bring the first fully electric Rolls‑Royce to market within the current decade.  And, right now, our company is embarking on an historic undertaking to create the first, super-luxury car of its type.  This will happen sooner than many thought possible, through the incredible skills, expertise, vision and dedication of our engineers, designers and specialists at the Home of Rolls-Royce.

“In this ground-breaking endeavour, we are drawing on a remarkable heritage, unique in our industry.  Our founders and those who worked alongside them in the marque’s formative years were all important pioneers of electric power, as well as their era’s leading experts in automotive engineering.  As we herald a new electric future at Rolls-Royce, I am proud and humbled to share their inspiring stories, which have never been told in one place before, and shine a fresh and fascinating light on our company’s earliest days.”

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

INTRODUCTION

Electrification has long been promoted as the future of automotive propulsion.  Mainstream manufacturers are increasingly embracing hybrid and battery electric vehicle (BEV) technology, supported by the expansion of national charging infrastructures.

To date, Rolls-Royce has communicated its electrification strategy in three simple statements:

  • The marque will introduce an all-electric car this decade (2020 – 2030).
  • This car will be a pure BEV, not a hybrid of any kind.
  • It will be launched only when the time is right, and every element meets Rolls-Royce’s technical, aesthetic and performance standards.

There is considerable interest and media speculation surrounding Rolls-Royce’s plans.  Ahead of further official statements, we invite the media to reflect on the marque’s unique heritage in electric power, which pre-dates the founding of Rolls-Royce the company itself, and involves many of the principal protagonists whose names are forever associated with it.

WHY ELECTRIC POWER?
The internal combustion engine (ICE) was not the only, nor the default, means of propulsion for early motor cars at the beginning of the 20th century.  Indeed, in the early 1900s engineers and manufacturers initially divided their loyalties precisely between three competing technologies: the ICE, steam power and electricity.

Steam power, though well understood, relatively sophisticated and, at the time, ubiquitous in industry and other forms of transport, quickly proved less practical for use in motor cars.  It therefore fell to internal combustion and electricity to vie for supremacy.

Electric power lost the battle for two main reasons: extremely limited range and the absence of a charging infrastructure.  A century later, despite significant advances, these remain as barriers to widespread adoption (although increasingly less so), both in terms of technology and consumer perception.

But the characteristics that first drew engineers to electric power – silent operation, instant torque, tremendous power and the absence of exhaust fumes – remain highly alluring, particularly for luxury motor cars.  Indeed, some have speculated that, had he been able to solve the range and charging issues, Sir Henry Royce might have chosen electric power alone for his motor cars.

The innate and perfect suitability of electric power underpins the marque’s explicit commitment to deliver an all-electric Rolls-Royce this decade.  In doing so, it can draw on a unique history and heritage; a connection with electric power that pre-dates the company itself, and featuring the main protagonists who would, between them, create the world’s most famous automotive brand – beginning with Sir Henry Royce himself.

SIR HENRY ROYCE
Born in 1863, Henry Royce was one of the world’s first electrical engineers.  After his apprenticeship with the Great Northern Railway was cut short for family financial reasons, he worked briefly as a toolmaker at Greenwood & Batley in Leeds, where he first developed an interest in electrical power.

In 1881, he joined the Electric Light & Power Generating Company (EL&PG) in Southwark. During this time, he attended evening classes in electrics at the City & Guilds of London Institute, having received only a year of formal schooling as a child.  A year later, aged just 19, he moved to the EL&PG’s new subsidiary, the Lancashire Maxim-Weston Electric Co. Ltd, as Chief Electrician, providing street and theatre lighting to the city of Liverpool.  But within two years, the company folded, and the famously driven, hardworking Royce struck out on his own.

His new enterprise, F H Royce & Co, initially made small electrical appliances such as doorbells, lamps, fuses and switches.  The business thrived, and was soon producing larger, more complex devices including dynamos, electric motors and winches.  In 1902, Royce supplied electric motors for Pritchett & Gold, a London-based battery-maker that had diversified into building electric cars.

Though Royce himself never built or owned an electric motor car, he created internal combustion engines that delivered the driving experience we associate with electric propulsion today: effortless torque, silent running and the sensation of one continuous, powerful gear. His technical expertise and pioneering achievements underpin the marque’s historical claim as a world leader in electrification in both luxury and social settings.

THE HONOURABLE CHARLES ROLLS
The Hon. Charles Rolls was also a highly gifted engineer; but his enthusiasm for electricity began even earlier in life.  When he was just nine years old, he rigged up an electric bell between his bedroom and the stables at The Hendre, the family’s ancestral home in Monmouthshire.  He also planned and supervised the installation of electricity in the servants’ quarters; deploying the powers of salesmanship that would later make him world-famous, he persuaded his father, Lord Llangattock, to pay for it.

Rolls’ passion for motor cars was equally precocious.  In 1896, aged 18, he travelled to Paris and bought his first car, a 3¾ hp Peugeot Phaeton. Two years later, while still an engineering student at Cambridge, he acquired his only electric-powered car, an American-made vehicle called The Columbia Electric Carriage, imported into the UK by Paris Singer (heir to the sewing machine dynasty) and sold as the ‘City & Suburban’ car. Rolls regarded this as the best then available.

In an interview published in The Motor-Car Journal in April 1900, Rolls described electric propulsion, in terms that, over a century later, carry the ring of prescient prophecy:
“The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean.  There is no smell or vibration, and they should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged.  But for now, I do not anticipate that they will be very serviceable – at least for many years to come.”

Rolls made his own small contribution to solving the problem, by providing a battery-charging station at his car showroom on Lillie Road in Fulham for the private or rentable electric Broughams that were all the rage in London at the time.

In 1904, Charles Rolls agreed to become an agent for the Contal Electromobile electric car.  But on meeting Henry Royce and seeing his new motor car, he cancelled the agreement.

As he correctly predicted, it would be a long time before electric vehicles became truly viable on any scale.  But it is tempting to think that had this visionary entrepreneur survived the air crash that claimed his life at the young age of just 32, the day might have come rather sooner.

A SERIES OF CONNECTIONS
While Rolls and Royce are immortalised as the founders, others, perhaps less well-known, were intimately and crucially involved in the events that led to the creation of the Rolls-Royce marque.  They, too, were luminaries in the worlds of motoring and electric power around the beginning of the 20th century; history and the marque are indebted to all of the following:


HENRY EDMUNDS
In his early career, Henry Royce worked for Brush Electrical Engineering Company Ltd, where he met Henry Edmunds, the company’s engineer.  Edmunds earned his place in history when, on 4 May 1904 at the Midland Hotel in Manchester, he announced: “Mr. Royce, may I introduce you to Charles Rolls”.

The man who would be remembered by posterity as ‘The Godfather of Rolls-Royce’ was a towering figure in his own right.  A friend of Joseph Swan (the inventor of the incandescent lightbulb) and Thomas Edison (the inventor of almost everything else), he was a pioneer of electric lighting, traction and telephony, and was present at both the first successful sound recording and telephone call.  He also brought into being the world’s first electrified underground railway, when he persuaded the engineer in charge of London’s City & Southwick Railway (now the City branch of the Northern Line) to operate trains powered by electricity rather than steam.

In 1888, Edmunds established W T Glover & Company, which became the world’s leading manufacturer of electricity cabling.  In 1894, he supplied lighting cables for a vast dock complex and industrial estate (the world’s first) serving the Manchester Ship Canal: the lighting itself was designed and installed by Henry Royce.

No proof exists that Edmunds played any part in the development of Royce’s motor cars. He was, however, the most experienced motorist among Royce’s friends and colleagues, so presumably offered expert advice and encouragement as Royce painstakingly turned his ideas into reality.


E A CLAREMONT
Conventional wisdom states that Royce co-founded F H Royce & Co with a partner, E A Claremont.  However, research has shown that Claremont joined the company some six months after its formation; Royce himself wrote, ‘I was induced to found… a small company in my own name’ and none but his was ever used.

While the original myth may be flawed, it is certainly true that the two men’s careers were closely entwined for many years.  Claremont was a partner in F H Royce & Company, Joint Managing Director of F H Royce & Company Limited, Chairman of Royce Limited and the first Chairman of Rolls-Royce Limited; both were also Members of the Institute of Electrical Engineers.


CLAUDE JOHNSON
Broad-shouldered, extroverted and a talented salesman, Johnson was the self-styled ‘Hyphen in Rolls-Royce’.  In 1903, he quit his role as secretary of the Automobile Club of Great Britain & Ireland – whose members included the aforementioned Henry Edmunds – to work for Paris Singer’s City & Suburban Electric Carriage company.

After less than a year, however, Johnson left to join C S Rolls and Co, later becoming Managing Director of Rolls-Royce Ltd.  He was responsible for much of the company’s early publicity: in advertisements produced for the UK and US markets, he described Rolls-Royce as ‘a petrol car as smooth and quiet as an electric’.  And to complete the symmetry, Paris Singer became the world’s first owner of a Rolls-Royce motor car.

ELECTRIFICATION IN THE GOODWOOD ERA
In the spirit of these founding figures, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars remains an electrification pioneer today.  When the first production fully electric Rolls-Royce reaches the market, it will be the culmination of research and development work that has been in progress at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, for well over a decade.


2011 – PHANTOM EE (102EX)
In 2011, the marque released Phantom Experimental Electric (EE), codenamed 102EX; a fully operational and road-legal battery-electric version of its pinnacle product.

Phantom EE was never intended for production, serving instead as a working test-bed for clients, VIPs, the media and enthusiasts to experience electric propulsion and share their experiences, thoughts and considerations directly with Rolls-Royce designers and engineers.

The car’s 6.75-litre V12 petrol engine and gearbox were replaced with a lithium-ion battery pack and two electric motors mounted on the rear sub-frame, connected to a single-speed transmission with integrated differential.  This system gave a maximum power output of 290kW and torque of 800Nm, compared to 338kW and maximum torque of 720Nm, delivered at 3,500rpm, for the V12 Phantom of the time.

While Phantom EE drew widespread acclaim for its technical accomplishment, particularly its near-total silence and impressive torque delivery, its limited range, long charging cycles and three-year battery life remained significant hurdles that Rolls-Royce would need to address in order to satisfy the expectations of its clients.


2016 – ROLLS-ROYCE VISION NEXT 100 (103EX)
Launched in 2016, this radically innovative concept car set out to define the marque’s long-term vision of luxury mobility.  It presented the motor car as offering truly individualised personal mobility, and an immersive emotional and sensory experience.

103EX was built around four key design tenets:
Coachbuilt bodywork will allow clients to commission a car that reflects their personal vision.  A virtual assistant and chauffeur powered by artificial intelligence offer an effortless journey. The interior creates a Grand Sanctuary, crafted from rare and exclusive materials.  And with its size and scale – 5.9 metres long and 1.6 metres high – the car ensures a Grand Arrival on reaching its destination.

Built on an advanced lightweight platform and powered by a proprietary, all-electric drive train, the motor car is completely autonomous.

The EX-suffix confirms that 103EX was a purely experimental car, never destined to enter production.  Following a spectacular debut in London, the car embarked on a three-year world tour, returning to the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood in 2019.

Visit www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com on 29 September at 13.00 BST for the next chapter in this extraordinary story.

/by
You might also like
THE ROLLS-ROYCE BOAT TAIL TIMEPIECES: AN ARTISTIC COLLABORATION WITH BOVET 1822
Phantom Tempus Collection: a highly innovative debut in ChinaPhantom Tempus Collection: a highly innovative debut in China
SPOFEC ROLLS ROYCE WRAITH BLACK BADGE OVERDOSE
Rolls-Royce’s Coachbuilt – masterpiece Boat Tail makes global debut at villa deste
racebird-electric-powerboatE1 Series and PIF announce partnership to create world’s first electric powerboat championship
ROLLS-ROYCE DEBUTS ‘SPIRIT OF ECSTASY’ FABERGÉ EGGROLLS-ROYCE DEBUTS ‘SPIRIT OF ECSTASY’ FABERGÉ EGG
0 replies

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply